


disappearance

by killer_vibes_hastings



Category: Legacies (TV 2018), The Originals (TV)
Genre: Abduction, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Endgame Hope Mikaelson/Josie Saltzman, F/F, F/M, High School AU, Hope Mikaelson & Landon Kirby friendship, Minor Violence, Original Character(s), Past Penelope Park/Josie Saltzman, hosie is endgame, louis is rafael's brother, minor josie saltzman/rafael waithe - Freeform, mystic falls high school, past Hope Mikaelson/Rafael Waithe
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-17
Updated: 2021-01-30
Packaged: 2021-03-01 20:21:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 43,931
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23703028
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/killer_vibes_hastings/pseuds/killer_vibes_hastings
Summary: If someone has told Josie before that she could fall in love with a person she never met for only the way others spoke about them, she wouldn’t have believed. Furthermore, she might’ve laughed it off. But it was for the way Rafael spoke so lovingly about her, the way she seemed to write the exact words Josie expected to have written herself, for all those reasons, when she saw Hope for the first time it was only as if her brain went ‘yeah, i’m domed’.or,The Saltzmans move to Mystic Falls when Alaric is called to be the principal in the town's high school, following the disapperence of 3 teenagers. Josie learns very soon that she can't say no to an adventure even when it puts her life into a big risk.
Relationships: Hope Mikaelson/Josie Saltzman
Comments: 43
Kudos: 157





	1. Mystic Falls high

**Author's Note:**

> hey guys, thanks for reading. Been spending a lot of my time on this fic and I hope it shows. It would probably take too long to publish new chapters but I hope not too much. Hope you like it!

_ The darkness of the room was suffocating and Hope backed into the corner as she watched the tall hooded figure point a gun at her friends.  _ _  
_ _  
_ _ He was so familiar, in the way he coughed out a laughter as Landon stumbled on his feet when he forced them out of the car, or the way he bowed his head as MG walked too slow for him.  _ _  
_ _  
_ _ He never once said a word, only pointing a gun the direction he wanted them to go. Hope gazed at her friends with a frown, holding back tears that made the air around her so much heavier.  _ _  
_ _  
_ _ When he locked the door behind him, Landon finally reached out for her, holding her hand gently “we’re ok, Hope, we’re going to be ok” _ **  
  
** Josie watched as the city view turned slowly into miles of green farmland. Her father, Alaric hummed along with the radio to an old jazz song while her twin laid with her head in Josie’s lap. The comfortable silent hiding so many unspoken words.   
  
Josie didn’t like changes. Her father always says it has something to do with the fact that the twins lost their mother at the young age of 5, forcing Alaric to raise them by himself. Josie was soft, too shy for her own good.    
  
When Alaric told them about his new job at A new town, the two girls lost their words and their worlds. Their closest friends were left behind for a new adventure despite the fact that neither of them was looking for one, not directly.    
  
The car pulled to a stop, making Lizzie raise her head from its comfortable spot to gaze at their two stories house. It was much bigger than their old apartment, letting the girls have private rooms for the first time since they were born, despite the fact that they usually just shared a bed.    
  
“I am choosing my room first,” the blonde declared, knowing that she won’t find any argument from both their sides anyways, “the biggest is mine”   
  
“go ahead then,” Alaric nodded with a smile, hoping to give her something to be excited about for the first time since he told them they were leaving. At least she could have her own kingdom “try out your new keys”    
  
Josie watched Lizzie climb the 3 steps to their new door hesitantly, using her key to unlock the house and she disappeared inside. Josie let out a small sigh, catching her father’s attention.   
  
“what’s up, Jo?” the father whispered with the softest of smiles, saved for one of his two baby girls “aren’t you excited to have a new start, you have asked for one since you were 5 years old”   
  
“I am very excited, dad, you know that. I am just scared of what is about to come and how I can make it all of my own” Josie tried to explain, slouching her shoulders, out of character for her “I was always Lizzie’s nerdy twin and I know I am more than that. I want to be Josie Saltzman before I am Lizzie’s sister”    
  
“now you have a shot to present yourself however you want to, darling” Alaric turned in his seat to take her hand, squeezing it gently “you are an incredible girl, Jo, you just have to take the risk to show it to others. If you do it for yourself, then you would finally start to grow in the right direction, your direction”    
  
Josie dropped her gaze, feeling guilty for the fact that her dad could so easily make her feel better, less stressed “you are the best, dad”    
  
“I’m pretty sure you are the best, but I would take the compliment” he released her hand before opening his door and exited the car, soon opening his daughter’s door as well.   
  
Josie climbed the stairs at her own pace, she almost felt as if she would never feel at home like she did in their old apartment. Her room was too far away from Lizzie’s and she tried to ignore the feeling in her gut that from now they would change. She could always go and sleep beside her, but the king sized bed in the middle of her room she knew that Alaric spent too much money on would just go to waste and she couldn’t do it, maybe in the future, but not now.   
  
She desperately needed to make the room her own, so she started unpacking her things. Filling up her shelves and closet with her belongings. The only thing she left for last were a couple of photos for her bedside table, one of her mother and father, one of Lizzie and her while they were younger, and the last was a picture of Penelope and her. The two looking at each other too lovingly to notice the picture was being taken.   
  
She would miss Penelope the most, she knew that. They promised to text and call but just as friends, breaking their own hearts, Penelope knew that Josie needed to grow on her own, it had to be enough to remain friends.    
  
“I’m taking Lizzie to see the school, do you want to join us?” Alaric popped his head inside the room, smiling at the already homey feeling her things provided.    
  
“of course, I finished organizing everything anyways” Josie moved around her room carefully. She joined the two in the car as Alaric let Lizzie drive.   
  
Alaric was chosen to be the new headmaster of the high school in the middle of Mystic Falls. The school named after their town and funded by the Salvatore brothers, and Alaric’s old time friends, Stefan and Damon. It was the latest project Caroline Forbes have done for the small town. While having to miss the next year, she asked Alaric to take her place. The new headmaster almost too excited to be back in the town he grew up, he said yes.   
  
“I grew up in Mystic Falls, you already know that. A small town like this give you the freedom to actually live, without fear” Alaric explained to his girls as they exited the car, it was shorter than 10 minutes drive “but with the freedom comes its risks. Last year a group of 3 teenagers went missing. My friend, the headmaster, decided to take a year off to earn the students trust once again. The teenagers are supposedly dead, but their bodies were never found”   
  
They stopped beside a wide poster, 3 pictures of teenagers smiling, two boys and a girl around the twins’ age. Josie averted her gaze, knowing that they would probably never smile like that again while Lizzie learned their faces carefully.   
  
“they have to be our age” Lizzie stated, touching the wall slowly as if she was scared they would jump out of the poster “Landon Kirby, Hope Mikaelson and Milton Greasley”    
  
“did they find out what happened to them?” the brunette girl turned to her father in hope.   
  
“they are still looking, but I don’t think they would find anything,” Alaric said sadly, looking at the girl’s picture a little bit closer “I knew her parents when I grew up here, I used to fight with her father but loved her mother. But he always wanted to be better for Hayley, without even knowing”  
  
_ Hope dared to look up at her father, she was younger than 5 when her parents started fighting and never stopped. Klaus was softer with Hope, he was softer through the way he was looking at her, hugging her. He was warm with her, but so cold with her mother. _ _  
_ _  
_ _ Even as a young girl she could understand that her parents weren’t meant to be together, that she was their mistake that they decided to carry together, that her mother and father wanted nothing to do with each other, but their love for her kept them together. _ _  
_ _  
_ _ “you can’t just say anything you want” Hayley’s voice made Hope flinch, she stood tall in front of Klaus “just go out and be away from us, if this is what you want so desperately”  _ _  
_ _  
_ _ Hayley didn’t sound like herself, spitting word after word at her husband, her husband that wanted to leave them and change the world. She didn’t want Hope to grow up without a father, but growing up while listening to them fight every day wasn’t the better option. It was their worst fight yet, 24 years old Hayley has had enough.  _ _  
_ _  
_ _ “I can take Hope with me if you want me to” Klaus almost whispered, crouching down beside his 6 years old daughter to pick her up to his arms “I can take you with me princess, and we can save the world together, what do you say?” _ _  
_ _  
_ _ Hope looked between her parents. If she was her teen self she would have easily thrown them under the bus and leave herself, but the younger more innocent version have decided a while ago “I can’t leave mom”  _ _  
_ _  
_ _ Klaus grinned, but the sadness in his eyes made the little girl twitch in his arms, trying to escape. In the future, when she and her mother would go through a rough time, Hope would regret not leaving with her dad but only a little “my beautiful girl, take care of your mom for me”  _ _  
_ _  
_ _ Hope nodded her head quickly, her auburn hair fell on her face and Klaus brushed it away lovingly, leaving a peck to his daughter’s head before letting her out of his arms “I will, daddy, I promise”  _ _  
_ _  
_ _ “you are the strongest person in the world, Hope, you will need that now” he reached for his bag, throwing it on his back with a huff “I will come back to see you. I love you, both of you”  
  
_ _ Hayley came to pick her up from school in the middle of the day a few weeks after her dad left, her eyes soft and puffy from her tears as she tried to explain what happened to Klaus. Hope was only 6 and didn’t understand her mother’s big words with awful meanings so Hayley let a social worker sit with her, explaining in a softer tone that her daddy won’t be back. _

“can we go on? I’m starting to freak out from staring at them” the blonde turned her back to the poster “I can’t believe you brought us to a place where 3 children were kidnapped”   
  
“you don’t know that Liz” the man patted her shoulder before leading them down the hall “they are still searching, we don’t know what they would find”    
  
“well, let’s just hope for the best” Josie took her sister’s hand in her own, sending her the simple message that she felt the same way, a shiver ran down her back.   
  
The first day of school started rather awkwardly. The students recognized their new headmaster as he marched inside the school followed by his twin daughters. Josie’s arm linked with Lizzie’s as they paid their goodbye to their dad and joined the swarm of tired students at their own uneventful first day.   
  
“dad is having a new year speech in an hour, what do you have before?” the brunette caught her sister’s attention, while still staring down the hall at a tall figure “I have chemistry”    
  
Lizzie ran her fingers through her hair, her blue eyes meeting dark brown ones with a flirty smile, dismissing her sister’s words easily “I spy with my little eye an adventure with a sad smile”    
  
Josie raised her head, trying to spot the guy to catch her sister’s eyes and knew exactly who she was talking about when she found a dark skinned, handsome guy. His head turned towards the floor as he tried to hide his face “you just broke up with Sebastian. Are you sure you’re ready for a new one already?”    
  
Lizzie only smirked, relieving her arm from her sister’s before pecking her cheek as a goodbye and walking away. Josie found her way to her first class, taking a seat at the front with a soft smile to the teacher, not even once thinking about Lizzie’s new boy crush.    
  
She waited patiently for the class to start as she stared forward, slightly nervous for the person to take the seat beside her. Josie decided that she was going to be a better version of herself, more friendly and even confident, maybe a little bit more like Lizzie.    
  
“Hey, new girl” the chair beside her made an uncomfortable noise as a guy sat beside her, he had a wide smirk plastered across his face and long braided hair “my name is Kaleb”    
  
“Josie Saltzman” the brunette gave him a soft, shy smile “it’s nice to meet you”    
  
“The pleasure is all mine, the headmaster’s daughter” he nudged her shoulder softly, turning to stare at the teacher before shaking his head with a sigh “you could’ve at least taken a seat in the back”   
  
Josie let out a small chuckle, facing him as she rolled her eyes “I didn’t know you were the one to sit beside me, if I knew I would’ve guessed better”   
  
Enjoying the small conversation more than he thought he would, Kaleb leaned towards Josie, whispering in her ear “you should sit with me at lunch, you and your twin”    
  
“you risk befriending the headmaster’s daughter? That confident?” Josie raised a questioning eyebrow, the smile permanent on her lips.

“well, you don’t know me yet, Jo, I might be a nerd”    
  
Kaleb turned up to be a much better student than Josie first believed after his request to sit at the back, the teacher used his knowledge to his advantage as he shot the guy with questions, making Josie feel slightly bad to have put him in this position. He led the way out of the class and towards the main hall for Alaric’s speech when the lesson ended, joining other students inside as he took a seat in the back. Josie turned to meet his eyes sadly before moving to sit beside her twin, the blonde comfortable in the middle row with a tall, handsome guy, that gave her a sly smile.   
  
“Jo, this is Jed” Lizzie introduced almost easily, making Josie shake her head with a smile, Lizzie showed how easy it was for her to make friends with the softest of gestures “Josie is my twin”   
  
“Welcome to the school” he winked, not giving the brunette much of his attention as he turned to watch the small stage.   
  
The blonde leaned closer to her sister’s ear, her voice was low but confident with her new information “the guy from this morning, his name is Rafael. He was dating the girl who was kidnapped. He is the only person that believes she is still alive. His best friend was kidnapped too. The rumors say that Hope cheated on Rafael with Landon”    
  
Josie nodded quickly, her eyes scanning the room in search of the man in topic. If the rumors were true, the poor guy not only lost the two most important people in his life, he was also betrayed by them. Something in her stomach made Josie believe that nothing happened between the two, but she always hoped for the best and sometimes got caught in her own head.   
  
“have you spoken to him yet?” Josie finally landed her eyes on Rafael, feeling so sad for him and the people he lost “he seems miserable, I don’t know him and yet I just want him to feel better”   
  
“that is because you are you, and no one can change that, Jo,” Lizzie said lovingly, a side that only Josie was able to see shone brightly for a few short seconds before disappearing behind a devilish smirk “and I want to see him happy because of how beautiful he is, seriously so handsome”    
  
“I can’t imagine losing Penelope like this” Josie whispered, although she knew her sister hated her ex, two dominant females that just couldn’t find a way to get along, Lizzie knew better than to speak badly about the other girl after their break up.   
  
“Sebastian could easily lose his way like this if he tried,” the blonde ran her fingers through her hair, her eyes gazing towards their father that just made his way to the middle of the stage “I don’t want to think about him anymore”   
  
Josie remembered Sebastian for the good he has done for her sister. The 16 years old reached their house to ask Alaric for his permission to date Lizzie, making the blonde’s heart shake at the chivalrous gesture. He was too sweet for the way they ended, and while he promised to come and visit, Josie knew better than to believe that Lizzie would take the long distance relationship as good as he did.   
  
“good morning students, my name is Alaric Saltzman and I came to take the place of headmaster Forbes until she returns for the next year. I am a little inexperienced but as a father and as a teacher, I am willing to do only what’s best for you. While Miss Forbes is away, she will be helping the police with finding your lost friends. We will work to make a proper Memoriam for the three that were lost, in hope that nothing like this would happen again”    
  
Josie watched with an endearing smile as her father spoke, it was the perfect position for him. She knew he would miss teaching, but this was better than nothing and a favor for an old time friend.   
  
“We can’t do a Memoriam for people that aren’t actually dead” Rafael caught the crowd’s attention easily, his voice loud and lacking the sensitivity that he surely felt when someone spoke about the subject “you can’t come here and decide to do something like this out of the blue”   
  
“you must be Rafael, right?” the headmaster asked with a sad smile, earning a shake of the guy’s head as he dismissed the man’s words “what do you think we should do then? Because if I were to disappear like they did, I would hope that my friends and family would do anything to remember me”   
  
“doing this won’t help them. We should be looking for them, they must be somewhere around here” Rafael moved around, soon standing on the stage beside Alaric and looking down at his classmates with waiver “you are all sitting in here while they are nowhere to be found, and no one actually cares”    
  
Alaric seemed to be debating his next move as he stepped closer to the broken guy, placing a hand on his shoulder “what do you want us to do? we can ask the police to help, send groups to look around?”   
  
Rafael couldn’t hide his surprise, nodding his head quickly and stepping off the stage, leaving the room and making Alaric let out a sigh. He wondered how he can treat this kid right. After Rafael lost so many important people in his life, Alaric didn’t know what to say to make him feel better, but knew he had to step up for him.

_ Rafael had too much on his mind. Breaking up with Hope was something he never imagined happening, and his heart wasn’t ready for the effect of his decision. The usual end of the year bonfire was supposed to be the best time they had all year, but it came with a struggle.  _

_ He knew that he shouldn’t have gotten so far from the group, feeling guilty that he made Landon worry about him, he made his way back. From far off he could see that the fire was out, and his friends were gone. _ _  
_ _  
_ _ “Hope?” he called weakly, eyeing his sweater on the floor beside Landon’s guitar and his ex’s silver notebook “Landon? It’s not funny, MG. You can come back now”  _ _  
_ _  
_ _ The deadly silence made him shiver and he reached his pocket to grab his phone. He walked around the bonfire, noticing MG’s bag as he dialed his brother’s number with hope for better news. _ _  
_ _  
_ _ “hey bro, did you hear anything from my friends?” Rafael asked in a desperate tone, reaching for his friends belongings and packing everything up “I don’t know what happened but my friends are gone. Can you come pick me up?” _ _  
_ _  
_ _ A few days later, as Mystic Falls turned slowly into a ghost town, Rafael reached the cops to speak about his missing friends. Only hiding one silver notebook with the name Hope Mikaelson written neatly on the cover under his bed.  _

Josie couldn’t bring herself to walk up to Rafael, she didn’t know how to approach him. Josie knew he was lonely and wanted to help but she didn’t know how. Her father said that she was the best with dealing with sad people, always knew what to say and to give the best comforting hugs. But he was a stranger and was too sad even for her.   
  
“I want to make his sadness go away,” Lizzie, on the other hand, was the worst with dealing with sad people and said that the best way to handle your feelings is to ignore them “by having the best sex humanly possible”   
  
Josie let out a low chuckle, shaking her head at the comment before moving things around her new locker and taking out her history books “you’re a virgin Liz, how do you even know what is the best sex humanly possible?”   
  
“whatever that guy is offering must be the best” the blonde ruffled her sister hair as if she was a child, making Josie roll her eyes “and besides, look at me, I am a goddess and he should be thankful that I touch him”   
  
“I love you” the brunette twin couldn’t contain her grin, pecking her sister’s cheek before shaking her head “I must go to class, I don’t want to be late”   
  
Lizzie nodded, watching her sister leave before calling after her while ignoring the looks she was getting from the other students “you’re a nerd, Jo, but it’s one of your best qualities and I love you”    
  
Josie and Lizzie had a strange relationship. Being twins forced them to be close, but in reality, they had a little close to nothing in common. They were never in the same group of friends, never in the same class or even in the same after school clubs. Lizzie hated Josie’s girlfriend and never failed to comment about her and was using the brunette’s feelings against her. But she was also Josie’s worst soft spot, the person Josie was the most loyal to and would always had her back.   
  
Lizzie was the strong twin, but if anyone was to mess with her older, precious sister they would’ve regret it. The blonde never feared to harm a person that made the stupid mistake of using her sister’s good heart against her. It took her too much time, even if she was only 16 years old, to understand that Josie Saltzman was the best person she can know and that she is lucky to have her.   
  
While packing her belongings only a few days before leaving, Lizzie decided to speak with Penelope and ask for advice on how to make sure that Josie feels safer in Mystic Falls, and Penelope was almost too surprised to answer but explained everything she could.   
  
Lizzie promised to be better this year and hoped she could be at her best behavior for more than 5 minutes straight.

Lunch was surprisingly the best time she had all day, Josie sat between Kaleb and smiley girl who’s name she couldn’t remember as the two shared easy jokes between them. Lizzie sat beside Jed on the other side of the cafeteria, it was the first time they chose to sit apart, but wouldn’t be the last.    
  
Kaleb promised to be her guide, he knew what to show her as he started with the wide library down the hall from their chemistry class to a secret spot behind the football court.    
  
“so why did you move here, Jo?” sitting under the bleachers, Kaleb light up a cigarette as he decided that the tour was over “I know your father is the new headmaster, but why him?”    
  
“he’s friends with Miss Forbes. A favor,” Josie only shrugged, trying to ignore the smell of smoke, she turned her back to him awkwardly “it’s only for a year but I think we would stay in Mystic Falls until Liz and I will graduate”   
  
“do you plan on leaving after this year?” he sounded genuinely interested, the cigarette abandoned on the floor as he spotted the girl’s discomfort with the smell “if it was up to you, of course?” 

“it’s only the first day,” Josie mumbled, watching the students in the yard, some playing with a ball and some sitting and talking. It calmed her nerves, watching others “I miss my friends, but I don’t know if I would’ve gone back, even now”   
  
“well, then we must make you like it here enough to want to stay” he raised to his feet before he pushed the small brunette back and towards their way back “so what’s your type, jo?” 

Rolling her eyes, Josie held onto his forearm with a smirk “I think that it mostly has to do with a sharp tongue and nice eyes”    
  
“I must start with a gender babe, we can never know these days” Kaleb dropped his arm around her shoulder as they walked, squeezing her body with a smile.

“both,” as if he knew he should ask, the slightly taller guy raised a knowing eyebrow as the two entered the school “I feel like you knew without me having to even mention it”

“well, I’m smart like that” he released her from his hold, pinching her cheeks with confident fingers before turning on his heels and walking down the hall “see you later” 

Josie was never easy making friends. It wasn’t because she didn’t crave it enough, but she was scared of getting hurt. In her old school, she befriended Penelope and only her, and was perfectly fine with sharing her time between her girlfriend and Lizzie. But in the new school, Josie hoped to earn friends who wasn’t family or lovers.

Kaleb was a good start. What Josie didn’t know then, as she watched him walk away, that friends turns too easily and too often into lovers. 

Josie arrived to the empty house by herself, leaving Lizzie with their father to keep him company. The brunette worked around the kitchen to prepare an easy lunch when her phone ringed. Expecting it to be her sister with a request to make a meal for her as well, Josie answered the call without looking at the caller ID.   
  
“hey, Jojo” Josie could imagine Penelope’s proud grin as she said the same old nickname that made the younger girl’s heart shake “how was your first day?”   
  
“hey, Penny” it felt like the air was finally back in her lungs, the widest grin taking over her features and she moved around the kitchen to take a seat on the couch, guessing it would be a slightly longer conversation “it was nice. I was always the teacher’s daughter and now I am the headmaster’s daughter”   
  
Penelope let out a loud chuckle, making Josie smile “Alaric, and the way he seems to enjoy himself by running the show. Must say, it kind of makes me crave to be called into his office just to find a way to see you”    
  
Ignoring the blush spreading on her cheeks, Josie could only miss her presence. But she knew that telling Penelope she would do anything to have her back would be too painful, for the both of them “how was your first day? is it weird without me?”    
  
“Jo, you were my classmate for almost 10 years, of course it’s weird” Penelope let out another soft chuckle, knowing exactly what to say to make her girl feel better “but I could flirt with anyone to get things, that was mostly it”    
  
“that’s so you, Park” Josie smiled, her eyes watering for the easy fact that she wouldn’t see her anytime soon, their hometown too far, it’s only been a week and already painful. It was still breaking her to stay away “I miss you”   
  
“that’s so you, Saltzman” Penelope mocked, the smile evident in her voice, she didn’t have to say it back, Penelope used to whisper words of love to her despite her nature, Josie would never forget that “but don’t focus on missing me now, Jo, you have new people to charm, people to show that you are the best person they could have in their lives”   
  
“you’re making me cry, penny” she whispered, wiping at her eyes with the back of her palm, letting a shaky breath escape her lips “I wish you were here with me”   
  
“You deserve all the love in the world. I hope you find someone who makes you feel the way I used to, or still am” she husked, making a shiver run down her ex’s back “I love you, Jojo, I didn’t mean to make you sad. I just wanted you to know”   
  
“I think you just like making me cry” Josie let her forehead rest on the arm of the couch as she listened to Penelope laugh, before she started renting about the new math teacher, the one that still doesn’t understand that she wouldn’t do her calculator homework.    
  
When Lizzie and Alaric arrived home, only 30 minutes later, Josie was still on the phone, her stomach complaining about her hunger but she couldn’t find herself ending the call. Penelope always made her feel better, even when she wanted to focus on her sadness, the other girl made her unconditionally happy.    
  
Lizzie left a kiss on the top of her head as she passed her on her way to the kitchen, guessing who she’s talking to and mumbling ‘say hi to the devil’.   
  
“I will never fight to tell anyone that I’m better than them, maybe except for your sister” it was as if she sensed the other girl entering the room, mentioning her for the first time since they started talking.   
  
“she says hi, by the way,” Josie smiled, watching as the blonde continued on the work of preparing lunch, where her sister stopped “she already has a crush, someone that lost his girlfriend when she was abducted along with his best friends”   
  
“Sounds fun, Saltzman, be sure to keep me updated,” Penelope said, knowing well that Josie won’t hesitate to join the adventure of finding the lost children of Mystic Falls “I know that unless the girl is dead you would be the first to find her” 

Hanging up the phone, Josie joined Lizzie beside the island. A simple meal of chicken and mashed potatoes waited for her to end the conversation while Lizzie already began eating. She looked pleased, almost happy. 

Alaric was on the phone as he ran into the kitchen, stealing a spoonful of mashed potatoes from Josie’s untouched plate with a proud grin “yes, Care bear, I know that it’s complicated. I met Rafael today, he seems broken”   
  
Both twins perked up at the nickname, knowing well enough that their father was filling in the former headmaster on the first day in the job. 

“my daughters had their first day, as well” Alaric added before the woman on the other side could add to the conversation, his eyes shining with pride as he watched the girls sit together at the table “so be proud of them as well”   
  
Lizzie almost snorted at her father’s words, pushing Josie’s plate closer before she let out her smug answer “she’d never met us, I bet she’s picturing 2 baby Alaric. Why would she be proud of us?”

“shut up, baby Saltzman” Alaric pointed at his daughter with a slight shake of his head “that’s the only favor I’m asking back, after being the best headmaster Mystic Falls high has ever seen”    
  
“I bet Caroline was a great headmaster, dad” Josie took the first bite out of her food, enjoying the feeling of warm chicken in her stomach as she hummed “when will we get to meet her?”   
  
“soon” Alaric only nodded, leaving a peck on each of his girls’ foreheads before pacing out of the room.

After lunch, Josie decided to walk around the new neighborhood, her head still busy with the phone call she had with Penelope. She spotted the small parlor at the end of the street, its bright lights almost pulled her in, she entered the shop with a curious gaze. 

When her father mentioned the milkshake place at the beginning of the week, Josie didn’t know what to expect. He said that the small shop was there since he could remember and was always the place he hung around with his friends as a teenager, it was there for at least 50 years.    
  
“Welcome to the milks-place, how can I help you?” a familiar looking face caught the brunette’s attention, making her smile at the somehow awkward name of the shop.   
  
“just a simple vanilla milkshake please” Josie requested, the waiter only shaking his head disapprovingly at the odd request. He couldn’t remember the last person to order anything less than a strawberry banana smoothie.   
  
“it’s your first time here, right?” he asked and she soon nodded “my name is Louis Waithe, I am the owner of this parlor with my little brother and I want to make you something random, fine?”   
  
Chuckling at the sweet offer, Josie smiled “yes that sounds great, actually. My name is Josie Saltzman, I just moved here with my dad and twin sister”   
  
“are you related to Alaric Saltzman, by any chance?” Louis asked, his eyebrows lifted up with confusion as he watched her face carefully, almost as if he tried to learn the answer from the features of her face.    
  
“yes, he’s my father. He recommended to come here” Josie watched as his frown turned into a proud grin before he started preparing the milkshake for her “how do you know him?”    
  
“he used to babysit me when I was a child. My father was like a second dad to him” the older guy soon left a tall glass with pinkish colored milkshake in front of her “tell him to come by and say hello, I haven’t seen him in years”    
  
“I would. What did you make me then?” Josie used the straw to mix her drink, staring down at it before raising her eyes once again, her gaze landing on the little brother of the owner and the reason he looked so familiar to her “you are Rafael’s brother”    
  
“the better and more smiley version of him” Louis turned around in his place to shot his brother a proud grin, making Rafael join the two by the counter, his smile softened as he noticed Josie beside his brother.   
  
Rafael lost almost everything when his friends disappeared. Even while his girlfriend was one of the three that were lost, he couldn’t hide the fact that he missed his best friend slightly more.    
  
It’s been 3 months since he last saw Hope. Looking back at it now brought nothing but pain, he remembered how they ended, too soon and too painful.   
  
“always giving me hard time with pretty girls,” Rafael mumbled under his breath, nudging his brother with a strong shoulder “I saw you at school today”   
  
“yes, we have math together” Josie dropped her gaze, the blush on her cheeks making Rafael smirk “I just moved here. I’m so sorry about your loss”    
  
She knew what to say, the soft smile gracing his lips almost drove Louis mad at how easily she received a gesture like this from his brother “thank you, but you shouldn’t be sorry. They are alive and well somewhere, I know”    
  
Louis placed a comforting hand on Rafael’s back, smiling awkwardly at Josie, as if he didn’t want to break his brother’s heart but knew better than to believe him “we can only hope, Rafa” 

“can you tell me what happened?” Josie found herself asking shyly, meeting dark sad eyes with a shrug of her shoulders before finally taking a first sip out of her drink “if you don’t mind telling me”    
  
Louis looked between them before leaving, he heard the story too many times from both the police and his brother and felt too sad to hear it once again.   
  
_ Hope sat beside Landon, leaving her favorite silver notebook in his lap, watching the fire as it burned brightly. She turned to her boyfriend, almost forgetting the two were freshly broken up. So she raised to her feet, deciding that she should just take a walk, needing to escape. _ _  
_ _  
_ _ Being the only girl in their group of friends used to be the easiest thing for her, enjoying the way her boys did everything for her and made her feel like she was the best person in the universe. She didn’t know that dating Rafael would change them so much and she found herself missing her old self. _ _  
_ _  
_ _ Loving Rafael was easy, as if it was meant to be. He was the sweetest boy when it came to her, she was always the one for him as he said, but she herself didn’t know what to feel, not now and not ever.  _ _  
_ _  
_ _ “don’t walk around the woods alone” Landon reached her side easily, pushing her shoulder softly “I don’t want to have to rescue you”  _ _  
_ _  
_ _ While dating his best friend, Landon couldn’t be better. He was the closest thing to a best friend she ever had, a person that would never judge her, never betray her, always stick to her side. _ _  
_ _  
_ _ “I just can’t see anything bad happen to me out here, just a safer place to carry my thoughts alone” Hope played with the end of her hair, turning to face Landon while they walked, a small frown playing on her lips. _ _  
_ _  
_ _ “is it Rafa?” he asked, letting his hand linger on the small of her back, as if he was ready to protect Hope if anyone were to come and harm them “or is it your dad?” _ _  
_ _  
_ _ “I don’t know anymore” she lied, but he knew. Hope was a mess after Rafael gave her an ultimatum, tell him what she was doing with Landon and MG or they would break up. At that moment she just chuckled, rolling her eyes and dismissing him. But now, now she wanted to cuddle to his side beside the fire and be wrapped in his arms. _ _  
_ _  
_ _ “well, we are leaving tomorrow to meet your father and he will find out” Landon stopped her from walking, catching her elbow in his hand “you can just tell him today and-” _ _  
_ _  
_ _ “he would want to come and we can’t let it happen. You know that” Hope turned around in her spot, making her way back to the small bonfire, deciding to sit beside MG to prevent any more awkwardness.  _ _  
_ _  
_ _ “I am leaving to look for more woods, the fire is almost out” Rafael said through gritted teeth, making Landon worry even more about him, about his state of mind and his heart. _ _  
_ _  
_ _ “don’t go alone, man, it’s dark already” Landon, always the sweet guy almost pleaded to his best friend, darting his eyes between him and Hope to ask for any help. If he knew what was going to happen next, he would force Hope to leave too “we don’t know what’s out there” _ _  
_ _  
_ _ “stop being a child, Landon” Rafael waved him off, pacing into the woods and far, far out of his friends’ sight. Hope met Landon’s sad gaze.  _ _  
_ _  
_ _ “We have to tell him what’s going on” MG spoke up, ignoring the sounds of tires from far behind him “he’s going to blow up from his nerves and we know it’s the worst when it happens” _ _  
_ _  
_ _ “It didn’t happen in a while” Hope mumbled, knowing that she was to be thanked for that. She was the first to raise her head at the sound of a moving car, her eyes landing on a tall figure with a gun “guys?” _   
  
“her notebook,” he whispered, carrying something that sounded a lot like guilt in his tone “it’s the only thing that I didn’t give to the police as evidence”    
  
“why not? Don’t you think that every piece of information could help find your friends?” Josie ran her fingers through her hair, like she used to do when it was longer and reached her waist, Rafael sighed.   
  
“it feels as if it’s the only thing of hers that I still get to keep as mine, no prying eyes” he dropped his gaze to the floor, fiddling with his fingers.   
  
Rafael was supposed to be working his evening shift, but sitting with Josie was calming his nerves and Louis was too happy to run around to keep the smile on his face for a little bit longer.   
  
Josie was easy to talk to, if it wasn’t for the softness in her moves and the giggle, Rafael could easily mistake her for Landon. He missed having someone who naturally cared about others, and a part of his mind wondered whether the two would be good as a couple.    
  
“you know, you really remind me of my best friend,” Rafael said without even thinking, noticing how it made Josie lean a little bit closer to him with a soft smile “he is my favorite person”   
  
“Landon, right?” the brunette asked, her fingers playing around with the white straw in her pink drink, the one she recognized correctly as a bubblegum flavored milkshake and was rather too sweet for her taste.   
  
“yes, Landon Kirby. He is my best friend since I can remember” Rafael let out an uncomfortable laugh, shaking his head before dropping his gaze “he is the best person I know and I miss him everyday. I think you could get along very easily”

“do you think that the police would find them? It’s been 3 months,but you clearly haven’t given up yet” the brunette asked quietly, almost scared of pushing the fragile guy over his edge without knowing what’s his red flags.

“I just know them well” he smiled awkwardly, playing with the end of his apron to busy his hands “I believe that if someone important to me dies, I have to feel something, in my chest, a pain. I know that they are alive, because my heart is still full for them”   
  
“you might be the most poetic person I have ever met” Josie let out a chuckle, but couldn’t find a place in her soft heart that argued with his point. It wasn’t for the fact that she thought the same, but it made sense “and my ex had this lovely way with words”   
  
“is it a good thing?” he lifted up a curious eyebrow, his smile almost flirty as he leaned forward against the counter.   
  
“I like it” the brunette girl said honestly, her mind far too busy with one girl with a smirk and the sharpest mind she knows to notice the way Rafael was looking at her, something about her was holding his attention “it shows something about your soul that I find charming”   
  
He was close to ask her out on a date after her statement, but was soon reminded that Hope was nowhere to be found and he couldn’t do that to her. But the craving to get to know the new girl was eating him alive, he felt guilty.

“I’m sorry, I have to start my shift now” he squeezed her forearm, letting the honest smile take over his features before wiping his palms on his red apron and moving around to take his notepad.   
  
“I kept you off too long, I know. I’ll see you around?” Josie moved to take a seat in one of the tables, only after receiving a soft nod from the waiter.

“sure thing, Jo” Rafael waited until she was comfortably seated to join his brother, the small smile she brought to his face remained for the rest of the night.

_ Hope Mikaelson could have told you herself, nothing scares her. Her mother taught her to be brave, to look the monsters in their eyes and kill them with her bare hands even before she wanted to do so.  _

_ But now, standing in a tiny room, pressed against Landon’s side in the dark, she tried to stop her body from shaking, to focus on her own breathing until it would even out to a normal heart rate.  _

_ Right now, the Mikaelson girl was beyond scared. Hope didn’t know what to expect next and as confident as she usually was, she couldn’t even pretend. The man who grabbed them just the night before disappeared after leaving them in a wooden shed. _

_ “I have never been this scared in my life” Milton neared his friends, looking for comfort. Hope let him crawl into her side “who’s this guy, Hopey?” _ _  
_ _  
_ _ “I think it’s my uncle” she squeaked, fearing their reaction more than she knew as she dropped her gaze to the floor with shame mixed with fear “I knew that it was risky to look for my dad, I didn’t know how much” _ _  
_ _  
_ _ “hey, we walked in blindly after you, it wasn’t entirely your fault” Landon tucked a piece of auburn hair behind her perked ear “I could’ve stopped you before it gotten this bad”  _

_ “for how long do you think they could keep us?” MG rubbed the back of his neck nervously, he was the one that couldn’t hide his fear the most.  _

_ “the next time he would come, we should try and escape somehow”  _


	2. the search

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> thank you so much for reading, really I can't believe that I actually publish it after all this time. Hope you enjoy it. Here's the second chapter for you guys :)

_ Hope woke up in the dark, a drop of sweat falling down her back under her baggy shirt as she held back tears. _ _   
_ _   
_ _ It’s been 4 months since she last saw her mother. She wished for another hopeless fight that ends with a slam of a door and tears. Hayley was a wonderful mother, Hope couldn’t help but remain positive, she would see her again. _ _   
_ _   
_ _ Landon was losing his mind. He slept longer than Hope did, and fell asleep after her each time. He missed the fresh air, raindrops and the sun on his skin. He wished for his freedom, to see Rafael again.  _ _   
_ _   
_ _ The only one out of them to find something to hold on to was MG, with a piece of paper and a pan, he wrote song after song until he lost the place he had on paper. He missed his mother as well, his stern father even. _ _   
_ _   
_ _ Klaus Mikaelson watched his daughter from afar each time anyone entered the barn  _ **  
** _ to hand the kids food. She was beautiful, just like her mother, Klaus feared the girl’s reaction when he will decide to introduce himself and maybe tell her his truth. _

When Alaric Saltzman told his twin daughters they would be moving 12 hours away from their home, the girls expressed their disappointment differently. Lizzie cried and yelled, Sebastian spent the night crawled by her side on her tiny bed. Josie, on the other hand, disappeared for 3 days. She spent the weekend with Penelope as if it would change their fate. Both girls hated the decision to move, but could fully say now that it was one of the best decisions their father ever made, but he couldn’t come to agree. 

Lizzie found her place with the football team. She was almost immediately the head cheerleader, given the fact that the quarterback and her friend from day one, Jed, was utterly in love with her by the second week of school.   
  
Josie found her place with Rafael and Kaleb, a group of diverted students that befriended each other after the abduction. Josie was more than curious about Hope Mikaelson, the group bringing her up way too often.

The only problem was the distance between the twins, their rooms, classes, group of friends. Alaric watched them drift apart without an idea how to stop his girls from turning into strangers.

It’s been a month since they moved, Alaric decided to let his girls handle their own relationship, hoping they’d find their way back to each other without any more pain.    
  
“ladies, we are leaving in 2 minutes and I won’t be waiting this time,” Alaric called on Monday morning, the first week of their second month in Mystic Falls “I’m talking about you, Elizabeth”   
  
Lizzie rolled her eyes as she skipped down the stairs, leaving a peck on the man’s cheek before exiting the house with ease, the cheerleading costume hanging on her shoulder.    
  
“ready for a new day, Jo?” Alaric waited for his slightly older daughter by the door, a soft smile on his lips as she passed him, touching his forearm with a smile of her own.   
  
“as ready as I can be” the brunette girl watched as her father locked the door behind them, climbing down the steps, when Josie turned to look at Lizzie with a grin “hey, has Jed asked you out yet?”    
  
The blonde dropped her gaze to the floor, a blush covered her cheeks and reached the peak of her ears. Lizzie was never once shy, the confident sister out of the two, but as Josie pinched her cheeks lovingly, the blonde could only brush her off.

“he knows I’m not interested in him” she whispered before entering the car, leaving her two confused family members behind. Alaric met Josie’s eyes, shrugging his shoulders before entering the car.   
  
Lizzie always found the most problematic boys interesting, Josie knew her sister well enough to know that once her eyes landed on Rafael she wouldn’t back off until she’d have him. Her persistency was sometimes admirable, really, and sometimes just tiring. 

Without even acknowledging each others, the girls parted, each joining the students in their ways to the first class of the day.

Rafael grabbed Josie’s arm to direct her to their table just a few minutes after the bell rang, more peppy than usual as Kaleb patted the seat beside him with his easy smirk. Becoming a part of the small group of friends was healthy for Josie.

Both guys stopped talking after their shared friend disappeared, MG took with him much more than they knew at first. They couldn’t look each other in the eyes without missing easy jokes from their friend. But Josie, with her soft smile and her calming aura just pulled the two back together again. Rafael blindly following her anywhere she’d want.

With them sat Maya, the only other permanent person that returned each day, sometimes others would join.    
Maya was Kaleb’s best friend, and as Josie learned was MG’s cousin. Her twin brother, Ethan, was friends with Lizzie. 

“I just want to be able to tell about him without squinting my face” Rafael dropped his gaze at the topic, his smile fading and he turned to watch Josie. Maya nodded in her friends’ direction before she continued “MG would have killed me if he knew that I can’t think about him without crying”   
  
“a teacher asked her about him” Kaleb was quick to fill both Rafael and Josie in as they began to eat their lunch “how she was and if she would like to tell his class about him”   
  
“if someone would’ve come to me about speaking of Hope and Lan, I would have spat them in the face” Rafael mumbled, playing with his food much more than eating.   
  
Josie reached for his palm, resting her own hand on his for comfort “don’t worry, if it has anything to do with my father, then he wouldn’t even try”   
  
Alaric had a conversation with Rafael on the first week of school, with Josie sitting right beside him. It was the condition he put up, that Alaric was forced to except. The short talk they shared was almost pointless for Rafael, while Alaric knew that he couldn’t push him farther.   
  
“I’m not scared of your dad, Jo, I just tend to get angry by the smallest of things” Rafael stated the obvious, making his long time friends snort and Josie to smile widely. 

“yes, Raf, we know you have anger issues” Kaleb let out an easy chuckle, his eyes meeting Maya for a few seconds before they burst out laughing, soon the two others joining them. When the laughter died down, he added with a soft smile “that’s why I miss Mikaelson so badly”   
  
Instead of letting a frown take over his face, Rafael’s smile finally reached his eyes for the first time in a while “do you remember the trip in the 7th grade?”   
  
“I thought you were going to kill Jed” Josie watched as Maya sighed, scrolling through her phone for a single picture that she saved from the same day almost 4 years ago “if you did then my brother would’ve been the quarterback by now”   
  
“and that obnoxious idiot wouldn’t’ve been here” Kaleb continued her with a grin and a shake of his head. He now faced Josie as he told her the rest of the story “Jed pushed Raf to his limits, as always, but then Hope arrived from nowhere and whispered something in his ear. It was as if she had magic, suddenly Raf was a new man”   
  
“she just knew what to say to calm me down, ever since I was a child and until the last day I saw her”    
  
_ 2 kids raced down the street, each on his own vehicle as they passed lines of houses on their way home. Landon found comfort in Rafael, at 6 years of age he already knew that his best friend was one of the only people to back him up no matter what happens.  _ _   
_ _   
_ _ “I spy with my little eye something shiny” Landon came to a halt beside his older friend, his blue bike seemed outdated and overused beside Rafael’s brand new skateboard.  _ _   
_ _   
_ _ “if you’re talking about your board, I might cry” Landon let out with an easy smile, confirming to his friend that he was joking. _ _   
_ _   
_ _ “no, bro, I was talking about the milks-place” Rafael lifted up the board as they neared the diner, almost immediately spotting his father behind the counter “they just finished with the renovation. Want a tour?”  _

_ Landon left his bike by the front door as they entered the milkshake place, spotting a 19 years old Louis just beside the front door. Rafael knew his brother would be the owner of the family place as soon as he turns 23, as it became harder for their father to manage it any longer. It was also clear that the youngest Waithe would join his brother as soon as possible. _ _   
_ _   
_ _ “hey little dude and his little dude” Louis crouched beside them, the frown on his face clear to both boys without having to mention it “there’s someone I would like you to meet, if you can give me a few minutes” _ _   
_ _   
_ _ Rafael grabbed Landon’s arm as he followed his brother down the parlor and towards a table at the end. A woman dressed in black sat with a girl their age, with red hair and beautiful blue eyes. Her cheeks covered with both dried tears and freckles. While coming from two completely different worlds, both boys knew to appreciate beauty when they saw some. _ _   
_ _   
_ _ “Hope, sweety, this is my brother Rafael and his friend Landon” Louis ruffled his brother’s short hair as he made the introduction “would you like to spend some time with them?” _ _   
_ _   
_ _ The girl nodded her head as she escaped her mother’s hold, moving to stand beside the boys. At the young age of 6, she was taller than both of them “my name is Hope” _ _   
_ _   
_ _ Rafael learned only later that Hope had said goodbye to her father the day they first met. The young girl that moved to their school the year after and was one of the only weak points he had, she was brave and smart and had this way with words that calmed him down. She was shy at first but soon turned to be the third party in their group. _

Josie was a regular shopper at the Milks-place by the third week of school. She always tried whichever flavor Louis or Rafael came up with for free before drinking something of her own choosing, usually just a simple vanilla shake. 

She would come just before rush hour for Rafael’s break, the two would share a 15 minutes of light conversation before the waiter would be forced to come back to help his brother with serving the customers, leaving Josie to sit in the back and do her homework. A few things went through her mind as she sat with her books, trying to concentrate.   
  
She would love to work there, she always knew. Louis mentioned after a long afternoon shift that he would love Josie’s calming aura around him more often, especially with Rafael always being on edge.    
The second was Hope Mikaelson. Yes, she heard soft loving stories about the other girl from Rafael that made her consider that Hope would never disappear without a reason. 

Louis said that Rafael’s beliefs were getting to her mind, only when his brother was away, and that the group of teens weren’t alive by now. But she wanted to meet Landon, see Hope’s smile and listen to MG’s jokes. She had to believe that one day she would be able to sit with them.

So she started digging into the beautiful Mikaelson girl, the ex of the only real friend she made by herself except for Penelope since she was a child. She packed pieces of useless information to build a case about her, more importantly why the abduction even happened. 

“did you ever asked Hope and Landon why they were so secretive?” Josie had a silver notebook that looked like the one Rafael kept as his secret, he couldn’t help but mention every time he saw it.   
  
“I asked Hope and she said that it has something to do with her deceased father” Rafael took a sip out of his strawberry chocolate milkshake, his favorite flavor. Something clicked inside of Josie’s head “but she wouldn’t tell me anything about it”   
  
Josie had only a few minutes to decide whether to tell him about her research before he would go back to work, but was too scared of how it would affect their friendship after it only began “do you think Louis would give me a job here?”    
  
Rafael raised a curious eyebrow, the smile still on his lips as always in the presence of Josie “I think you’d be a better fit to the job than I am”

“want to join me as I ask him?” she moved to stand beside him behind the counter, expecting the older Waithe sibling to arrive soon from his own break “you can teach me the basics now”   
  
Louis could only watch from the doorway as he made its way back into the shop, Josie Saltzman and his own brother speaking with a young customer. When the Saltzman’s arrived back to Mystic Falls, Louis could only hope that the girl would be a good influence to Rafael as her father was to him, and was never too surprised of the friendship’s result on his brother’s face.    
  
“well, I always prefered the classic flavors” Josie crouched down beside the boy, around the age of 7 “and Rafael here likes strawberry chocolate, which is weird, don’t you think?”   
  
The boy squinted his eyes at the server, before nodding quickly and turning around to face his mother “I want to have what she said, mom, a strawberry chocolate milkshake!”   
  
Both waiters laughed as Rafael turned to the counter to prepare the drink, his smile permanent on his face “great choice, buddy”   
  
Louis made his presence known, stepping inside the room and running his fingers through the blonde curls of the child “hey there, Peter, how was your day kiddo?”   
  
Letting the child stay with the waiter, his mother moved to take a seat while the boy spoke with ease. Both Josie and Rafael watched him with a soft smile. Louis had a way with kids, since his brother could remember, since the day he met Hope.

“so, brother,” Rafael said a few minutes after the child left with his tall glass, a chocolate covered grin on his face “Jo wants to start working here, what do you say?”

Louis could only chuckle before reaching for his extra apron and placing it over the girl’s head with a fond smile. It was the only way he had in mind to thank Josie, for the way his brother was smiling again, the one that never seemed forced, the smile that was saved for Hope. 

_ Landon watched as Rafael held his pen too tightly between his fingers, his knuckles turning white slowly. It wasn’t the first time he was acting this way, almost irritated. The 15 years old was trying to concentrate on his words but found Landon’s staring confusing. _ _   
_ _   
_ _ “man, can you go anywhere else? I’m trying to write Hope a letter” Rafael raised an accusing eyebrow before bowing down his head once again “but I can’t find any words to tell her. It’s always so easy in my head”  _ _   
_ _   
_ _ Landon took the seat beside his best friend, turning the paper in his direction. He knew that Rafael’s anger was just a shy request for help “dear Hope. Dude, she’s not 30, don’t write dear” _ _   
_ _   
_ _ “just read the whole thing before you judge, Lan” he requested, demanding but almost too peaceful to come out of the guy’s mouth as he pushed the paper closer to his friend’s chest.  _ _   
_ _   
_ _ Landon cleared his throat with a soft smile before dropping his gaze to the messy writing “dear Hope, there’s no one day that passes by where I don’t feel overly thankful that you gave me a chance to be a part of your life. I know that you and I are friends by purely accident, but it might be the best accident that happened. I want you to know that you are the softest side of me”  _ _   
_ _   
_ _ He stopped when he heard footsteps, his eyes meeting a pair of blue ones and he chuckled. Of course, by a force of nature Hope would just arrived while he read Rafael’s words of love for her.  _ _   
_ _   
_ _ “hey, Hopey” Landon’s awkward smile made his best friend raise his head in pure surprise. As if it wasn’t expected for their best friend to try and find them “how much of it have you heard?”  _ _   
_ _   
_ _ “enough to ask you to leave and not to eavesdrop us,” Hope pinched Landon’s cheek fondly before pointing at the door “bye” _

_ “okay brother, I feel like I’m unwanted” Landon smirked before moving around the room and disappearing behind the closed door. Hope took the seat right beside Rafael, close enough to feel his warmth, before grabbing the paper. _ _   
_ _   
_ _ “is it weird to say,” Hope folded the paper and put it inside her pocket, turning in her place to look at the guy beside her, almost surprised that he haven’t spoken his mind yet “that you are my soft place too?”  _ _   
_ _   
_ _ Rafael’s frown turned into an easy grin as he leaned closer to Hope “not at all. I wanted to ask you something for awhile but I didn’t know how to do it”  _ _   
_ _   
_ _ “and it has something to do with the note, I assume” the smirk on the girl’s face only made Rafael smile wider “can you please tell me the rest of what you wrote? promise you it’s way more romantic hearing it out loud than reading” _ _   
_ _   
_ _ “that no one makes me as happy as you do, Hope” Rafael tucked a piece of lose hair behind the girl’s ear, his eyes soften as he pecked her cheek softly “will you maybe, go on a date with me or something like that?”  
  
_ Josie found herself wandering into her father’s office in the middle of the day. It was too early to leave without being caught but late enough to make up a reason as to why she wasn’t in class.    
  
She missed Lizzie in moments like those, a person who would back her up on the shit she always seemed to get herself into. Lizzie always had the answers to many problems, Josie wanted to have them for once too, or at least be the one to find them.   
  
“hey dad,” Josie knocked on the lintel of Alaric’s office, peeking her head inside with a small smile “can I talk to you?”   
  
The headmaster raised his head from its place on his palm, his reading glasses sliding down his nose “hey Jo, what are you doing here? You’re missing science class”   
  
Josie tilted her head to the side, a concerned expression spreading on her face “do you have our schedules hanging out here somewhere?”   
  
“of course I do” Alaric dismissed his daughter with a wave of his palm “I need to know how my girls are doing at every second of the day”   
  
“don’t say that to Lizzie, dad. It’s weird” Josie shuffled around the room awkwardly, sitting in front of her father slowly “can I talk to you? I have some questions I have to ask about a project”

“a project? I didn’t know that a teacher gave a project?” Alaric met Josie’s gaze, wearing a puzzled expression.   
  
“not from school. Me and Rafael, we had this bet and I need you to help me prove him right” the brunette opened her notebook, reaching for a pen from her father’s desk to write down the answers. She had prepared too many questions and had too little time “do you mind helping me?”   
  
“I can lie if you want,” Alaric grinned “and besides, you’re always right”   
  
“no lying, I just want to know the truth about Klaus Mikaelson” Josie gazed up as her father’s grin turned into a frown “you knew him while you were a teenager right?”   
  
Alaric nodded, his work long forgotten “His older brother, Elijah, and I were best friends through high school. Klaus was a few years younger than me and we always found ourselves in a fight. Especially when it has to do something with your mother”   
  
“mom? what about her?” Josie couldn’t help but lean forward with curiosity, she was too invested now to redirect the conversation to her direction “I thought you started dating only after high school”   
  
“but I was in love with her long before,” Alaric smiled nonchalantly “she was best friends with Hayley Marshall and was in class with Klaus. He knew through his brother about my feelings and would always tease me. God I hated him, but also loved him”   
  
“was he and Hayley dating?” Josie asked, pushing closer towards the subject she wanted to talk about but also liking the stories he had to tell.   
  
“Hayley was dating Elijah actually, since they met and until he left Mystic Falls to go to college. I was already dating your mother and went to a college near by” he bowed his head, almost shamefully “Hayley then slept with Klaus and you know what happened. Klaus had the decency to stay and marry her while she carried the child. They were barely 18 when everything happened. I wasn’t better, of course, I married your mother when she just turned 21”    
  
Josie let the knowledge settle. It seemed that Alaric was more than eager to tell their story, he sounded like he missed the Mikaelson brothers, and Josie wondered if they’d ever be back to Mystic Falls would their meeting be something Alaric would be interested in.    
  
“when your mother died, I got a call from Klaus late the same night” Alaric continued with a sigh “while Elijah came over to our house to help me with the two of you, Klaus had a plan of his own and couldn’t accompany his brother. He sounded so sad, I never heard him sound sad before”   
  
“what was his plan? Do you know?” if Josie could do the simple math, her mother’s death was just before Klaus’ own. The plan her father was talking about must had something to do with his death.   
  
“something about traveling the world maybe? Elijah told me some details but I barely remember anything from those days beside crying and drinking” Alaric shrugged just before the bell ringed, reminding him of their surrounding “I hope that was enough information, sweetheart”   
  
“that was great, dad. Thank you” Josie leaned to peck his cheek before stepping out of his office, a few ideas running through her head and making her even more confused, but also so much more invested    
  
Josie left the school to start her work earlier, it was the only thing to actually distract her from everything that ran through her mind. Louis only gave her a puzzled look before handing her the apron and mumbling something about cleaning the tables.   
  
She returned home after her long shift ended, leaving her over used white vans under her desk before turning her attention towards her homework. 

Josie never meant to make anyone sad, always with the intention to make everyone around her happy, especially Lizzie. So when the blonde girl entered her room with a frown, the brunette was quickly at her side, her expression matching her twin’s.    
  
“what’s going on, Liz?” Josie held onto both of Lizzie’s arms, keeping her in place and refusing to let her move a millimeter. 

The blonde girl shook her sister off, moving to take a seat on the perfectly made bed in the place she knew would disturb her sister’s arrangement the most “I am happy that you and Rafael are like, best friends, but I want to date him since the minute I saw him”

Something in the blonde’s face told Josie that her new job pressed at a point a little too close to her heart, that having Rafael this close to her drove Lizzie over an invisible edge, edges that Josie used to know so well.   
  
“I am not his best friend, I’m working with him” Josie shrugged, fighting against explaining that Josie was way more into Rafael’s ex than she was into him “he is the closest thing I have to a friend here, but I don’t want him like this”   
  
“you just couldn’t keep away, couldn’t you?” it was as if everything Lizzie held back since they arrived to Mystic Falls blew up and the calm, sweet version disappeared as her eyes darkened “I had my eyes on one person”   
  
“I wasn’t doing anything on purpose, Liz, and you know that. You are welcome to sit with us or with him whenever you want to. I’m not his girlfriend” Josie raised to her feet, moving around her room to sit back down by her desk.    
  
“you just had to befriend the only person I wanted for myself” the blonde moved to exit the room, but Josie blocked her, suddenly standing in the way “move, Jo”   
  
“no, Liz,” it was the first time Josie had ever stood up to her sister, without any words in her mouth but with a determination that Lizzie had never seen before from the older girl “I may not stand up to you on things, but if you can’t be happy that I found a friend, just a friend who makes me happy, then I don’t know who you are anymore”   
  
Ever the stubborn sister, Lizzie only rolled her eyes before marching out of the room and towards her own, slamming the door shut behind her. If she gave it a few minutes to settle before leaving, she might’ve been proud.

Josie wasn’t asking for much. That’s why she didn’t try to speak to her twin, didn’t try to make her understand. Coming to Mystic Falls, Josie only hoped to become her own person and she found it between Rafael and Kaleb, whether Lizzie liked it or not.    
  
It wasn’t until late at night, when she found herself dialing her ex’s number, after she let the fight settle. Penelope, as soft as she was with Josie, tended to be harsh while addressing the girl’s twin.    
  
“Jo, you can’t always consider Lizzie’s feelings. You have to put yourself first sometimes” she said after spitting out swear words for almost 5 minutes straight, if they were in the same room she could’ve easily scared Josie “you finally have friends. She can’t come between you and your happiness”   
  
“Rafael is not my happiness, Penny” she said, stating the obvious with ease before shrugging her shoulders “but she won’t stand between our friendship, not this time”   
  
“I’m so proud of you, Jojo” Penelope whispered, sounding more genuine than she usually did. Josie could only smile as she dropped her gaze down to her hands “for putting yourself first over your sister’s stupid shit”   
  
“it’s not stupid to her,” Josie whispered back, running her fingers through her hair before sighing loudly enough for Penelope to hear on the other side “I don’t know what to do with her. Hurting her, hurts me. But I can’t just let her run me over once again”    
  
“I’m glad, babe” the chuckle on the other side made Josie feel warm, but it wasn’t like it used to be. Penelope used to be the only reason the brunette smiled some days, but now she could only find comfort in the sound, something she knew would always be there.   
  
“thank you for listening to me,” Josie leaned back against her bed, sinking into the comfort of her covers, closing her eyes “I will call you sometime this week, if it’s okay?”   
  
“of course, I’m always happy to hear from you” Penelope let out a soft sigh, already missing her “bye Jojo, love you”   
  
“bye, Penny, love you too” 

Alaric watched with discomfort through the rearview mirror as his twins faced the other direction from each other. It was as if the yelling from the night before only pushed the two apart, after years of having the opposite effect.    
  
He was used to small fights between them, but never before the two girls spent more than 12 hours without speaking. He knew better than to push them towards each other, but his heart broke as he exited the car with Josie by his side and Lizzie already by her friends’ on the other side of the hall.   
  
“I don’t know what happened between the two of you,” the father whispered, loud enough for his daughter to hear over the other students but still low “but I want you to be the big sister and fix it”   
  
“I can’t fix everything with her, you know that” Josie whispered back after spotting Rafael, waving softly in his direction before turning around to meet her father’s gaze “I promise to try”    
  
“that’s enough for me” he ruffled her hair with a smile before entering his office, leaving his daughter to sulk about the condition with Lizzie.    
  
Rafael noticed that something was off in Josie’s behavior. He was used to the blonde’s good morning ritual by now, including the hug and flirty smile. But now his gaze shifted between the girls with confusion.   
  
“is everything okay, Jo?” he asked as soon as she stopped by his side, the two soon on their way to their first class together “your father seemed concerned”    
  
“just had a massive fight with Liz, about nothing meaningful really” Josie dismissed his words easily, linking their arms together with a shy smile, leading their way “I don’t really want to talk about it”   
  
“I can accept that” Rafael nodded softly before he stopped beside her first class, which was math just by his own history class “but promise to come and talk to me as soon as you’re ready”

  
She reached around his neck to pull him to a friendly hug, before stepping away and entering her classroom. Rafael watched her leave, his heart sinking with the thought of never having her the way he wanted to.    
  
He felt like he was cheating on Hope still, even while he was moving on slowly, beginning to live his life again while remembering his friends, he had a feeling that both he and Josie would think it to be cheating.

Josie was on the way back from school, it was only a 10 minutes walk and the first time she decided to walk by herself, ignoring both the cold weather and Lizzie’s glares. She walked down the main road, she heard her name called from an alley.    
She was easily scared, but something about the accent made her decide to step down the dark path to stand in front of a tall figure.

She knew for a fact that the man standing in front of her was the main person on her research, the reason that Rafael’s friends disappeared, and the father of the one and only Hope Mikaelson “Klaus?”   
  
“I think we both know why I’m here, Josette” he was leaning against a wall, a gun against his hip as he carelessly played with the trigger “you should stop researching about me”   
  
“I think we both want what’s best for your daughter” Josie swollowed her fear, she had a feeling that Klaus’ death was faked, or that something was off about the whole thing. There was something about the Mikaelson girl that just made her do things, the fact that she would easily drop everything to find Hope was scaring her “don’t you think that just helping me get her back would be the best for her?”   
  
“I think, no, I know that you’re playing a dangerous game that you are not old enough to participate in” Klaus shrugged his shoulder with a devilish smirk “stop researching me, it would end bad”   
  
“you know I won’t stop, why are you here, Klaus? Someone who knew you might see you” Josie almost turned on her heels to leave, when his chuckle made a shiver run down her back, she couldn’t hide her fear for long.   
  
“I know where you live, Josette, when Elizabeth is off her class, when Alaric is in his office by himself. Don’t push the boundaries like my daughter did, look what happened to her” Klaus only grinned before disappearing into the darkness.

_ Hope hated car drives more than her mother’s cooking, but she promised to be thankful for the woman’s trying to make her slightly happier. _ _   
  
_ _ Ever since her husband died, Hayley felt like she had to please her daughter, almost feeling responsible for his death. Hope was 9 when her mother took her to a road trip to Virginia beach, showing the wonders of the beach to her daughter. Both weren’t big fans of the sand and Hayley found herself showing the girl around a simple boring town more than actually visiting the beach. _ _   
_ _   
_ _ “can I go and buy myself a soda, mom?” Hope made her way to her mother’s side, the woman watching the sun set from their hotel window.  _

_ “of course, princess” Hayley ruffled her daughter’s hair lovingly, the nickname making her daughter huff with a frown “do you remember my phone number?” _ _   
_ _   
_ _ “like the back of my hand” the girl said knowingly, sharing a small confident smile with her mother before reaching for the door after receiving some money, Hayley turning just in time to give the girl a proud smile “I will get you one too, I promise” _ _   
_ _   
_ _ Hope skipped down the stairs and into the small cafe just outside the hotel while she played around with the coins in her pocket. She knew that her mother trusted her to be careful, and she was going to make sure she still does when they finish the vacation.  _ _   
_ _   
_ _ The almost 10 years old girl grabbed herself a bottle of sugary soda and a simple one for her mother before going towards the counter. A tall blonde man was in front of her in line, his thick English accent caught Hope’s attention immediately and the girl wondered if she would always be reminded of her father when she would hear such accents. _ _   
_ _   
_ _ “my daughter is here on a vacation with her mother” the man said proudly, explaining himself to the uninterested man behind the counter “she’s going to turn 10 soon, I haven’t seen her in awhile” _ _   
_ _   
_ _ Hope watched the blonde man, trying to figure out why he actually looked so familiar to her when he turned around to wave, she was met by her father’s grin and wide eyes.  _ _   
_ _   
_ _ She was too scared to tell her mother about seeing her father, the social worker she was seeing since he died, Tamara, mentioned that some kids imagine their dead relatives as a way of coping with the loss. But her mother noticed the change of behavior, the soda left on the table as she was cuddled to her mom’s side on the bed. _ _   
  
_ Josie never ran so fast, reaching the milks-place within 5 minutes and entering the back room with ease. She took the time for the threat to settle. Never in her life had she felt so close to danger but also wanted to have a taste of it this badly. Klaus’ threat was scaring her, of course, but it wouldn’t stop her from finding Hope after all the time the girl was away.   
  
Rafael was about to begin his shift when he noticed a shaking Josie Saltzman in the back room. He tried to hide his confusion as he stepped closer, knocking on the opened door in hope not to startle the girl any farther.   
  
“Raf, you won’t believe what just happened to me” she said before she could think of all the reasons she shouldn’t tell him, knowing that after she’d tell him what happened, she would be forced to share with him all the details of her research “Klaus Mikaelson just threatened my life”   
  
It was if all this time of hiding the truth came spilling out of her mouth as she handed him her notebook with all the details, only after the older guy looked at her puzzled and stated that ‘Klaus Mikaelson died when I was 6, I remember the funeral’ for more than 3 times.

“why would you hide this from me? I thought we were best friends” it came out almost as a whine, but he was serious, making Josie shrug her shoulders.   
  
“we are friends, Raf, just listen to me” she took both of his palms in her own, he was late for his shift but they didn’t care, no one else mattered when they were together, well except for one person “I just heard all your stories about Hope and I couldn’t just let her memory die, so I started looking”   
  
“and you ended up getting threatened by Klaus?” freeing his hands from her hold, Rafael let his anger swallow him and he wished that the father of his lover wasn’t a part of her disappearance, he grabbed the silver notebook from the small table.   
  
“I wasn’t even aware that he was around. Everything from my research pointed about the fact that he left town” Josie reached for the notebook in his palm, opening the 3rd page and pointing down at a family tree she drew lazily “the Mikaelsons moved to Mystic Falls with their mother when Klaus was young. He has 3 brothers and 2 sisters. Freya Mikaelson, the oldest, is the only one that still lives nearby, and we are going to pay her a visit”   
  
Rafael let out a long sigh before nodding his head, not being able to disagree with anything this girl has to say “but you have to be careful. I don’t want to watch as Klaus carries on his threat”    
  
“I’m not scared of him, not like he wants me to be” Josie shrugged, reaching beside her head for Rafael’s apron where it hung “we should talk more about it after your shift. Can you come over?”   
  
“of course, I’m off around 11” Rafael waved as she started walking towards the door, his mind searching for a reason to keep her with him for a little longer “do you think I should bring Hope’s notebook?”   
  
Josie stopped in her track, much to Rafael’s delight “are you willing to do that?”   
  
He gave her a soft smile as he nodded his head. She dropped her gaze to the floor before deciding to walk once again.

  
Josie sat beside the dinner table back at home, the notebook resting in her lap and captivating all of her interest as she read through her own research. Both Lizzie and Alaric watched her with confusion as their third party was deep in her thoughts.    
  
She could barely eat, Josie knew that she had to be ready for her nightly reading with Rafael, for whatever was to come for them as friends. Or maybe, she just needed to have the last few minutes alone for the idea of not doing this by herself anymore to settle.   
  
Josie have been through a lot since she started researching, all by herself with her thoughts. She used most of the knowledge Rafael and their friends gave her on Hope to build some kind of an image, to prepare herself.   
  
“what are you reading?” Lizzie peeked her head over Josie’s shoulder, her curiosity stronger than the bad blood between her and Josie, her bright eyes sparkled.   
  
Josie closed the notebook horridly, she gazed up at the blonde with a glare, forgetting all of her basic rules “a little bit of privacy would be nice, Elizabeth”   
  
“we’re twins. Privacy is only a recommendation” Lizzie answered slowly, one of her eyebrows raised up in a teasing manner “I haven’t seen you read so intentionally ever since you’ve read all the Harry Potter series in the 7th grade”   
  
Well, her world was much easier back then, with books that told the story of magic and the innocence of a child. Josie wished to be back then, but also wished so badly to be a few weeks away from now.   
  
“well, it’s slightly more serious than the world of wizardry,” Josie said with a soft shrug, raising to her feet, the food on her plate never touched “and much more important than cheer practice, sis”    
  
_ The door to the shed opened at the middle of the night. Landon watched as a man wearing a dark grey suit entered the room with tea. He looked similar to the blonde they had seen before, but seemed to be older.  _ _   
_ _   
_ _ “are you the only one awake?” his voice was soothing, the thick english accent matching the other woman’s. Landon nodded his head softly, his hand sitting on top of Hope’s head as he ran his fingers through the girl’s hair “would you like some tea?” _ _   
_ _   
_ _ Landon moved around the room, shrugging his shoulders to show his disinterest “would you take me outside instead? I would like some fresh air” _ _   
_ _   
_ _ The man nodded his head, leading their way out of the shed and to the chilly night air “my name is Elijah, the blonde woman you saw is my younger sister Rebeka. A part of me is saddened that Hope is not awake to meet me”  _ _   
_ _   
_ _ “sir, why are we here?” Landon let out a short breath, already feeling better as the breeze passed them. His eyes met Elijah’s, and he wanted to believe that this man felt guilty for kidnapping 3 teenagers. _ _   
_ _   
_ _ “my brother is a little anxious about people’s knowledge about him, I can only promise that you won’t be here for long” he straightened his suit with his hands “Hope is my niece. I promise that apart from staying here nothing worse would happen to you” _ _   
_ _   
_ _ “you are Klaus’ brother?” Landon ran his fingers through his long hair, settling his fingers in his pockets “we didn’t mean to harm anyone, Hope just wanted to know about him a little bit more”  _ _   
_ _   
_ _ “you should go back inside, it’s late. I can leave you the tea if you’d like”  _


	3. turning pages

_ Hope listened as Landon explained his idea. MG only shook his head before crawling to his side of the bed and falling into a deep slumber. Landon was breathing deeper now, his eyes not as wide. Hope knew it had something to do with the visitor of the night before, the one who left sweet tea for them.  _ _   
_ _   
_ _ “I just want to be outside, let’s just leave” he whispered quickly, trying to get on Hope’s better side and maybe convince her somehow, maybe by being hopeful, that sitting around and doing nothing wasn’t better than trying “let’s speak to them with reason and just go” _ _   
_ _   
_ _ Hope dropped her gaze to the floor, her mind racing with pros and cons for running away. A part of her believed she deserves to be punished for looking into her father’s death, but the other part of her knew that she just tried to learn more about him, and there’s really nothing wrong with that. _ _   
_ _   
_ _ “I think that we should try, at least, to free the two of you,” she started slowly, Landon’s eyes burning holes in the back of her neck “don’t give me this look, Lan, you’re here because of me”  _ _   
_ _   
_ _ “We chose to be here with you, this is not only your responsibility to carry” he tapped her shoulder, making her turn on her spot to face him “can you help me think of a plan?” _ _   
_ _   
_ _ “sure,” Hope sighed, leaning into his side “this isn’t going to be easy” _ _   
_ _   
_ _ “good, I like a challenge” Landon grinned easily, as if they weren’t speaking of escaping their prison.  _

Rafael was laying on his stomach, Hope’s notebook still closed in front of him as he read through Josie’s own research in her own silver notebook. He was confused. Josie and he have been the closest of friends since they met, it’s been almost 2 months and she was researching Hope for more than a month without even mentioning it once.   
  
“the childish part of me wonders why you’re more interested in my ex than me, and the more mature part of me wonders why you kept everything away from me for so long,” he raised his eyes from the text, watching as Josie paced through her room before she stopped at his words “I could’ve helped you with this”   
  
“I wasn’t sure what your reaction would be, it has nothing to do with not trusting you or wanting to keep this away” Josie sat beside him, her legs crossed as she reached for the closed notebook between them.   
  
The silence that fell between the two of them only brought more questions to Rafael’s mind. Of course the few words they shared weren’t enough to fill the questions he already had before, but one person crossed his mind, forcing him to come to his senses.   
  
“how did Klaus realize that you were even searching for him in the first place?” Rafael asked, his eyebrows raised. He seemed curious, more than anything else “if all you did by now was speak with doctor S. and write things in your notebook?”   
  
This made Josie stop in her movements, she turned in her spot to give him her best frown. The wheels in her head started running under Rafael’s careful gaze.    
  
“I actually have no clue” Josie sat back down, her gaze wandering around as she thought “I was too scared of him actually pulling out his threat that I never stopped to think about it until now”   
  
“well I think we should look into that” Rafael whispered, his eyes dropping to the notebook.   
  
“can I open this, please?” Josie lifted her eyes to meet his, hopefully.   
  
Rafael nodded his head, watching Josie open the notebook with nerves showing over her features. Until now, everything on her search was speculation that could’ve been proven wrong. Klaus was the first hint, and now Hope’s notebook was everything she needed to find them.   
  
“you can’t leave me like this, would you read out loud?” Rafael sat up, leaning against the bed, watching her with curious eyes “It was with me for so long and still I couldn’t bring myself to open it once before”   
  
“so you’re in for a ride,” Josie joked, after reading the first sentence she already knew that listening to Hope’s writing won’t be the easiest for the both of them “her first sentence is ‘I just saw my father, and I swear I can remember seeing him on a vacation with mom when I was 9”    
  
“I remember that trip. It was the only vacation they ever took because Hope returned home sick. She wouldn’t tell us what happened” Rafael shrugged his shoulders before nodding his head sadly “my brother helped me make her soup”   
  
“so apparently she met her father there” Josie ran her fingers over Hope’s writing, feeling chills run down her spine “but she never told anyone beside Landon, and only after too many years”    
  
“do you think,” Rafael dropped his gaze, his heart heavy with dread and for once he let himself consider all possibilities “that maybe Hope did love Landon and they just run away together?”   
  
Josie neared Rafael slowly, wrapping an arm around his shoulders “I think that if Hope ever had any feelings for Landon then she knew they could never happen. Landon is your brother, I would like to believe that he won’t hurt you like this”   
  
“but you can’t control the way you feel, especially when you’re as close as the two of them” Rafael raised knowing eyes to meet Josie’s clearly confused ones, as if he was confessing some private thoughts for the very first time.   
  
“maybe I should read this by myself and mark the important parts,” Josie considered out loud, leaning down to read through the first page quickly “it would make you feel better, I think”    
  
“no no, Jo” Rafael pulled her back to press against the bed beside him “I am willing to hear everything she wrote down as long as I’m not doing it by myself”    
  
“that’s why I’m here” Josie grinned before reading out loud the first paragraph out of many.   
  
_ Landon figured up that Hope was special around the same time his best friend did. He had no one beside Rafael, his foster parents always taking their biological children on trips around the world while leaving the 8 years old in the care of the Waithe family just across the street.  _ _   
_ _   
_ _ Hope has never held it against him and was the first person, after Rafael of course, to stand up for him against bullies that kept coming to pick up on the rather small child.  _ _   
_ _   
_ _ Landon couldn’t forget the way she acted. He never asked her for anything, never promoted or pushed her into action, but smiled gratefully each time she embarrassed older boys by her easy, too harsh words.  _

_ So when she asked for his help, he was compelled to do it. His laptop was resting in her lap as she typed quickly, he leaned over her shoulder to watch the screen “what are we doing, Hopey?”  _ _   
_ _   
_ _ The old nickname sounded comfortable between them as she turned to him, a nervous smile playing on her lips and truth hidden behind her eyes “I have something to check on your computer, then I can finally tell you everything” _ _   
_ _   
_ _ The name Klaus Mikaelson wasn’t new to Landon, having known Hope for over 10 years brought him to the Marshall household plenty of times, he even saw a few pictures of baby Hope in her father’s arms when she was just born. But Hope never once spoke directly about him, one of the many mysteries that was the Mikaelson family. _ _   
_ _   
_ _ “I must be nosey and say that you are looking for your father,” he whispered, earning an annoyed glare out of the slightly younger girl as she had to turn her attention back to him again “don’t even give me that look, I know you for years but you never spoke about him. Come on” _ _   
_ _   
_ _ “I think I saw him a few days ago” Hope confessed, her eyes watering almost instantly as she said it for the first time. She was so strong and she knew better, but a part of her wanted to hope for the best, hope that the almighty Klaus might still be alive. _ _   
_ _   
_ _ “Hopey, he died when you were 5. Maybe you’re going through a hard time and you wish you could see him again” Landon offered shyly, moving closer to her to rest an arm around her shoulder. _ _   
_ _   
_ _ “Lany, my life has never been better. I have Rafael and you, even MG and Kaleb. My grades are great and I haven’t fought with my mother in over a month. I love my life” Hope dropped her head back to rest against his arm, her clear eyes met his worried ones “I wish every day that my father was a part of my life and we are going to see if he’s really alive” _

Josie rubbed her eyes with the back of her palm, smiling up at Rafael as they walked. He tried so desperately to stop himself from yawning.    
The two agreed that they must read through Hope’s journal before meeting the oldest Mikaelson sister the next morning instead of going to school, Josie was too eager to wait and Rafael was too eager to give her whatever it was she wished for. 

They were up until past 3 am, reading through harsh and harsher words written by Hope. Rafael ended up sleeping on the floor barely 10 minutes after Josie closed the notebook. 

Something about Hope’s intimate thoughts brought the two closer together, sharing soft and sad looks every few sentences. Josie feared Rafael’s feelings. Both because of her twin’s feelings for the guy and her own unexplained feelings for his ex. Furthermore, reading Hope’s thoughts only made Josie fall harder for her.   
  
But she didn’t know how to explain to herself even, how to tell him that she loved Hope the way she used to love Penelope, if it was even possible, without even meeting her.    
  
“do you think she’d help us?” Rafael questioned, his voice low and tired but he seemed hopeful for the first time. He listen to many love letters Hope wrote for him coming out of Josie’s mouth, he was even more confused than before.   
  
“I think she needs to be too heartless not to,” Josie replied quickly, picturing Hope’s face in her mind as she paced faster “it’s her niece after all, we have to believe that she cares about her”    
  
“let me just warn you,” Rafael smiled, his fingers wrapped around Josie’s forearm to keep her attention on him “if she doesn’t help, I might burst”    
  
“think about Hope and you won’t” Josie raised a confident eyebrow, reminding Rafael of the reason he was there and grounding him to reality “Freya must give us some information”   
  
Josie stopped beside the front door, glancing at Rafael before knocking softly. The two waited almost too long before a blonde woman pulled the door open, her green eyes landing on the pair standing by the door with confusion.   
  
“hello?” she asked, her eyes darting between the two before turning back to call inside “honey did you invite anyone?”   
  
“I didn’t” a warm voice called back and Freya soon turned to gaze suspically at Josie and Rafael.   
  
“then who are you?” she asked, leaning against the door frame with ease, turning to watch Rafael almost knowingly “you seem familiar”    
  
“my name is Rafael, I am Hope’s boyfriend” he said, almost bitterly. The words tasted awkward in his mouth, but they did do the job of getting a friendly smile out of Freya.    
  
“oh I heard about you, Raf” the blonde said with an awkward smile of her own, pushing the door open wider before stepping backwards “please come in, can I make you some tea? You’re in the age between gerber and vodka, right? I might have some coffee”

Freya Mikaelson loved to have guests over. Every time Keelin’s nephews would arrive, the oldest Mikaelson sister would shine at her brightest.    
But something about the two teenagers sitting awkwardly in her living room sent her off the edge.   
  
“We just wanted to ask for your opinion before we’re trying to find another direction” Rafael couldn’t find better words in the presence of the blonde, his meaningless sentences made Josie roll her eyes more than once in the conversation.   
  
Maybe she should have arrived by herself, she thought. Maybe then she could try at least to charm her way to Freya’s good side and maybe receive some information. Rafael just made the woman annoyed, she couldn’t take a single word he said seriously.   
  
Her eyes dropped to the floor before raising again to gaze apologetically at Freya “can you show me the bathroom, please?”    
  
The blonde woman led the way without another word being said. The walls down the narrow hall were covered by family pictures. Even ones of Hope, Josie could spot her standing alongside with her mother in a few.   
  
“We only came to see if you had any idea where Klaus can be,” Josie found herself mumbling before Freya was too far to hear, making her stop in her steps “we’re looking for Hope”   
  
Maybe accepting the fact that Klaus won’t be charged for the kidnapping would get Freya to speak. Josie hoped, that if the older sister thinks her brother is safe they could get her to help.   
  
“I don’t know anything, darling” the blonde smiled sadly, shrugging her shoulders sheepishly “I wish I could help. I miss Hope too. But it has nothing to do with the fact that my brother died 12 years ago”    
  
“you can’t really believe that” Josie almost pouted at the blonde woman, she knew better than that, both of them did.   
  
“Just let it go, Josie” Freya paced back down the hall, leaving the brunette by herself.   
  
_ Hope leaned against Freya for support, her eyes watering slightly and she raised her gaze to meet her aunt’s. The blonde woman couldn’t help but see Klaus in the face of his daughter, she was glad that her brother could at least have a child before he died.  _ _   
_ _   
_ _ “I’m so happy for you, aunt Freya” Hope whispered, barely 12 years old and yet so mature. Her hair was braided by her mother right before the ceremony, claiming she ‘have to look good for the pictures’ and looking the most beautiful Freya had ever seen her.  _ _   
_ _   
_ _ “I know you are, sweetheart, I am so happy I can have you here with me today” Freya whispered in Hope’s ear after pulling the small girl into a hug “I miss your dad every day and I feel like as long as you’re here then he is here as well”  _ _   
_ _   
_ _ “aunt Freya, can I tell you a secret?” Hope raised to her tiptoes, pulling her aunt as close as she could with their height difference, leaning to the woman’s ear “I think I saw dad on my trip with mom two years ago” _ _   
_ _   
_ _ “what do you mean, honey? Your father is gone” Freya whispered back, pulling the girl out of the dance floor to sit on the grass with her. Keelin smiling at her over Hope’s head. _ _   
_ _   
_ _ “I thought so too, I swear!” Hope leaned to Freya’s side, her eyes darting between her family while they danced around drunkenly and her aunt “but then I waited to buy myself a soda while on the stupid vacation mom forced me to and he was in line in front of me! I swear, I know it sounds crazy but… I know it was him” _ _   
_ _   
_ _ Freya stopped to think, she might be crazy to consider her niece’s theory, but as much as a young kid might imagine their deceased father, Freya knew better than not to listen to the girl in her arms. _ _   
_ _   
_ _ “I promise to check it out for you, Hopey” the blonde left a soft kiss at the top of Hope’s head before pulling on the girl back to the dance floor. _   
  
After leaving the bathroom, Josie wished to leave. Something in Freya’s lack of details made Josie sad, somewhat hopeless to ever find Hope.   
  
Strolling down the hall slowly, the teenager found herself stalling from going back to sit with both Rafael and Freya. She stopped beside a wedding picture, Freya and a dark skinned woman gazing lovingly at each other with a slightly younger Hope and another man standing in the back.   
  
“That was the best day of my life” a voice broke the momentary silence, if you ignored the awkward conversation in the living room.   
  
Smiling up at Freya’s wife, Josie leaned against the wall to gaze between the picture and the woman “you do seem very happy, I wish I’d look this happy when I get married”   
  
“It wasn’t much, but it was ours. I was so glad that we could at least have Hope and her mother with us. It was happiness mixed with sadness” the woman grinned “I’m Keelin, by the way”   
  
“Josie. I’m going to find Hope, at least try to find Hope” the younger girl promised again, more to herself this time after the moment just before when she was about to just give up. She explained “I need Hope”   
  
“I believe you” Keelin nodded her head, grinning warmly “are you a new friend of hers? I heard of Rafael and Landon, but I’ve never heard of a Josie”   
  
“I never met her. I just have faith in the kind of person she is, from all the stories I’ve heard” the brunette stuttered, it sounded so awkward and weird of her “I want to be her friend”   
  
“you came in the wrong time, honey” the woman mumbled back sadly “it could’ve been easier, it should be easier”   
  
“I don’t look for easy,” Josie shrugged, the hope in her eyes strong almost as the hope in her heart “if I was looking for easy, I wouldn’t be asking for Klaus’ address in New Orleans. Can you help me with that?”   
  
Keelin entered a wide bedroom, leaving Josie at the door to watch as she scribbled down on a piece of paper. The younger girl found herself asking “why do you trust me?”   
  
“because you seem to have a better hope than all of us,” the woman grinned before leaving a small paper in Josie’s palm, squeezing her hand for a few seconds “and that has to mean something, don’t you think?”   
  
“now I must promise to get her back” this was the beginning, after speaking with the girl’s aunt and receiving, in a way, what she wanted to, Josie would have to speak with her mother.    
  
“I don’t think you need to promise it to me. Promise me to step out if it gets dangerous” Keelin requested “there’s a reason why Freya, or any of us who knew Klaus fear looking into their disappearance”   
  
“When I go into research I find it hard to let go. I can try” Josie followed Keelin back to the hall “thank you, for everything”   
  
“no problem at all, Josie, I wish you all the best and wish to have you over as Hope’s guest soon” Keelin squeezed her forearm before disappearing back to her room and leaving Josie with the widest smile she could offer.

Josie leaned into Rafael after they exited the house, feeling the gaze of Freya on their backs as they walked down the road and towards the Milks-place. Rafael seemed to be exhausted, wasting his time with the oldest Mikaelson seemed to be an easy task at first but turned to be harder when Josie left him to handle her by himself.   
  
It felt as if they failed until the house was far behind them and Josie reached for his palm, leaving a piece of cramped paper there “turns out Keelin was all we needed, Raf”    
  
Reading the address, Rafael soon googled the location to find it easily in a sided road in New Orleans “we have to thank her personally when we bring Hope back”   
  
“yeah, she made it so much easier for us” Josie whispered, linking her arm along with Rafael as he grinned brightly “let’s just hope that we’re going to find her there, and not her scary father and his gang of siblings. I’ve seen pictures, they are scary”    
  
“me and you, Jo, we can do this” he pulled harder on her arm “but only after I sleep at least 13 hours, I’m exhausted”    
  
“good, because you have at least 15 hours drive to do, I don’t think my dad will let me drive to New Orleans” she promised as they neared the main road “getting his permission to leave Mystic Falls is going to be harder than finding them”   
  
“let’s meet tomorrow after school at the Milks-place for final details” Rafael kissed the side of Josie’s head before stepping back “I will get us a car from my brother”   
  
“I think I should go and talk to Hayley” Josie leaned her head to the side, watching as Rafael’s face fell. He raised a confused eyebrow at the girl’s idea “look, it makes sense. She has to know we’re looking for her daughter”   
  
“you really want to be the hero, Jo?” Rafael whispered, Josie almost missing it behind the sound of cars and people “just bring her her daughter back, that’s it. Don’t promise her anything you can’t actually do for sure”    
  
“She has to know there’s a chance” Josie whispered back, turning in her spot to start her short walk back to her house.   
  
“Hayley has faith, she knows Hope is alive just like I know Hope is alive” Rafael called loudly before turning as well and walking away.   
  
Josie reached Lizzie’s room down the hall from her’s, her head resting against the door before she found the courage to knock. It was around midnight, the older Saltzman twin could barely close her eyes as she pictured Klaus’ evil grin.    
  
Rafael’s words were permanent in her mind and she couldn’t even find the power within her to eat dinner with her family. Her relationship with her sister was never worse, but she knew that the blonde could make her feel better. She had to.   
  
Josie opened the door after a few seconds of silence, stepping inside the dark room and near the bed.   
  
“Jo?” Lizzie whispered as she spotted her sister, barely awake, she shuffled around in her bed to leave a place for Josie beside her “what’s wrong? you look like you saw a ghost”    
  
“you could say that” Josie whispered after crawling into her sister’s arms, as if they never had any fight, as if they were still the best of friends “mind if I stay with you tonight?”    
  
“you are always welcome to stay with me, Josie, always” Lizzie wrapped Josie tightly in her arms, her head resting on her shoulder “would you tell me why you’re so busy lately?”    
  
“well,” Josie whispered slowly, letting out a soft sigh “I’ve been looking for Rafael’s friends for a while now, with his help since a few days ago”   
  
“I don’t understand” Lizzie backed away, her eyes meeting her sister’s and she found herself wide awake all of a sudden “that’s why you’re so close with him?”   
  
“well he’s sweet and all, but-” Josie was cut off by Lizzie’s loud laugh, her heart swelling up with happiness for the first time since they moved to Mystic Falls.   
  
“Josette Saltzman just can’t say no to a good adventure” the blonde couldn’t contain her laughter, the two soon laughing together “but if you think he’s only sweet, why are you risking yourself for some people you don’t even know?”   
  
“it’s stupid honestly,” Josie shook her head, dropping her gaze to her hands “I don’t want to talk about the reason, I want to talk about what’s going to happen in a few days”    
  
“what’s going to happen, Jo?” Lizzie raised a curious eyebrow, clearly not taking any of this subject seriously “are you planning to go in and swoop the girl in your strong arms and be her hero?” 

As if being caught, Josie choked on thin air “Rafael and I are driving to get them from New Orleans, I can’t promise not to swoop the girl in my arms but I can promise not to do any of that with Rafael. I just need you to cover for me”    
  
“and what are you going to tell dad?” Lizzie grinned widely, something about the girl she never even spoke to being the peak of her twin’s dreams just made everything so much more cynical and she tried, very hard, to at least pretend to take her seriously, but failed.    
  
“that Rafael is taking me to see Penelope” Josie shrugged her shoulders, the excuse coming out of her sleeve easily. It was a smart decision, Alaric would never refuse the meeting between his daughter and her best friend “he would let me drive to see her if you and I can pretend to still be on bad terms. He asked me to fix our relationship”   
  
“that soft bastard,” Lizzie shook her head, the grin on her lips disappearing “he can’t come to the source of the problem because he’s scared of my reaction but he can come to you and blame you-”   
  
“he wasn’t blaming me” Josie cut in shortly, with a smirk to match her sister’s statement.   
  
“-for everything I seem to do wrong, sometimes I hate him” Lizzie continued as if she was never stopped, her eyes wide, annoyed, and Josie found herself pulling her to another hug “em, I’m mad over here, stop trying to smother me”   
  
“I missed you, Liz, so much” Josie almost broke down. She might be stubborn, but she was also weak, and Lizzie was her deepest weakness.   
  
“next time I try to do something as stupid as this, just tell me straight up” it was Lizzie’s way to say she missed her sister too “I am blinded by cute boys all the time, I’m sorry it comes at the expense of our relationship”   
  
“so you’re going to help with dad tomorrow?” Josie chuckled, relieved that this midnight talk went as good as she hoped it to be “If I get to bring Hope back, maybe you can get Rafael all to yourself…”    
  
“of course. I would've helped you rob a bank if you asked me” Lizzie rolled to the other side of the bed “I’m the small spoon, come on sis, twin cuddles”    
Josie ran her fingers over Hope’s writing, her back pressed against the wall outside of Rafael’s classroom.    
  
This morning, the twins kept up their attitude, Alaric almost cried when the two of them left the car in silent, Josie could see the sadness seeping through the crack of his smile. But she knew they had to keep up the act, only for the time being.    
  
Josie ditched almost all of her classes to keep on reading through the journal. She read through every single part, including the ones she refused to read aloud in fear of Rafael’s reaction on their overnighter.    
  
He knew that she wasn’t being completely honest with him when she promised to read everything, she claimed not to understand half of what Hope wrote down and was now busy reading through it for the first time.   
  
When they first met, Josie said that Rafael has a way with words, but he didn’t even come close to the way his ex describes their relationship in details. She made falling in love with Rafael sound so poetic, so easy. Josie could see their relationship as if it was aired on tv in her mind.   
  
Josie found herself staring at the words on the last page for a few minutes, letting herself for the first time picture what it would be like to have Hope in her life. Would Hope even like her? would she want to come back to Rafael or their break up was permanent? would Hope ever feel this way for Josie, as Josie feels for her?   
  
Kaleb watched Josie stare at the notebook with a soft smile before nudging her with his foot, making her almost startle awake.   
  
“what’s going on, Jo?” he asked, reaching his palm to help her get up “were you just ditching class? Mystic Falls corrupted you harshly!”   
  
“in fact, I haven’t been to any of my classes today” Josie said proudly, her eyes shining brightly.   
  
“I might be proud Jo” Kaleb wrapped his arm around her shoulder, pulling her closer to him as they walked down the hall and towards lunch “so what were you reading?”    
  
Josie knew that Kaleb was already shut out from the first research that was done by his friends, but couldn’t find it within herself to bring him any of the danger in knowing. It might have been more selfish than protective, but for now Josie didn’t mind.   
  
“some old diary I found in one of my boxes” Josie mumbled after closing the notebook and pressing it tightly to her chest “have you seen Rafael? I need to talk with him”   
  
“well he must be here,” Kaleb led their way inside the wide dining room and towards their table, where Maya was leaning against Rafael as the two shared a laugh.    
  
When Rafael spotted Josie, he edged closer to Maya, making her shuffle nervously in her seat “hey guys” he grinned brightly.    
  
“Raf, I have to talk to you” Josie didn’t even notice the way he was trying to grab her attention, she waved the notebook to catch his attention “come on, I think I’m ditching the rest of the day”   
  
“hello to you too Saltzman” Maya grinned, ignoring the way Rafael seemed to be enchanted by the girl’s magic, she raised a confused eyebrow “don’t ditch, Kaleb already made you break your attending record before”   
  
“that was the best day” Kaleb sat down beside Maya, letting out a contagious laugh “let’s do it again Jo, let’s go eat some pancakes on the other side of town! All I have for lunch is a sandwich, it’s sad” he pouted.   
  
“not today, Kaleb. I have to leave, I’m going to meet someone important” Josie murmured under her breath, she might actually prefer spending her time with Kaleb and a pancake “I can’t wait to discuss the details after school, do you mind?”   
  
“are you going to get hitched?” Maya smirked, her eyes wandering between the two of the awkward teenagers standing in front of her “always pictured you as gay, Jo, much more into me or Hopey”   
  
“we’re leaving, bye guys” Rafael dragged Josie out of the room, while Josie fought to keep her cheeks from getting any redder, as by now the peak of her ears burned hot.   
  
They sat at the back room of the Milks-place, their spot, as Rafael listed reasons why they should just leave that night. He was scared of Hayley, for a reason he wouldn’t tell Josie, and while he had smart points Josie was too set in her mind to do anything other than what she planned.   
  
“look, Raf” Josie stopped him in the middle of his speech about the way Hayley would react if they would bring Hope back and surprise the mother “I won’t go if you think it’s wrong, but just know that I think we should talk to her”   
  
“ok, so you won’t talk to her” Rafael didn’t even budge, letting out a loud sigh “so when do you want to leave?”   
  
“I have a few things to do, but I think I can manage everything before tonight” Josie shrugged her shoulders, leaning against the wall as her legs were pulled tightly into her chest. She got better at lying since they moved, but she still hated it.   
  
“then I’d pick you up at 10” Rafael nodded his head, watching curiously as Josie raised to her feet “is it ok with you?”   
  
“yeah sure. I need to get organized and make up some reason to be away from home” Josie pecked Rafael’s cheek before storming out of the room at an inhuman pace.    
  
She made her way back home too early to know what to do with herself, so she managed to arrange her bag and tare it apart more than 5 times before she decided to make her way towards the grieving mother.   
  
Josie ignored all warnings Rafael had to say about Hayley Marshall, about the way Josie can break her heart as easy as mending it, while walking down the neighborhood and towards their house, Hope’s house.    
  
It wasn’t that she didn’t fear the woman’s reaction, of course she did. But not telling her about the suicide mission they were about to perform for the solely reason that is her daughter was much less fun. Besides, Hayley deserved to know there was this slight chance that Hope would be back by next week.   
  
Stopping beside a dark wooden door, Josie ran her fingers through her hair that has gotten so long lately before reaching to knock and waited for the woman to open. Through the whole investigation, Josie wanted to know what Hope’s mother was thinking about this whole thing and now she was going to get her answer, she hoped.   
  
“Hello, Mrs. Mikaelson” Josie whispered, a soothing smile taking over her features and a part of her was glad that Rafael wasn’t there to stress the mother out. She was as beautiful as Josie imagined “my name is Josie, can I have a few minutes of your time? I have something I want to talk to you about”   
  
“Please, I go by Marshall since my husband died” Hayley pushed the door open wider, letting the teenage girl enter the house without a single question about who she was.   
  
The single mother was used to people coming and going to question her after Hope disappeared, but never once came a teenage girl to her doorstep. It spiked interest in Hayley, the awkwardness in Josie’s movements only made her feel for the young girl, she liked her already.

“thank you for giving me some of your time, miss Marshall” Josie mumbled under her breath with a shrug, catching the woman smiling up at her and averting her gaze immediately, noticing a picture of Hope and Hayley hung on the wall just beside her.   
  
“of course, sweetie, do you want anything to drink? I might have some soda” Hayley offered, earning a soft shake of Josie’s head in return “so just sit with me then”   
  
Josie noticed the way the woman was watching her, the curious gaze, the girl could only wish to have the woman’s daughter watch her with the same look in her eyes when they meet, hopefully sooner than later. When she took a seat, she reached for her silver notebook from her backpack.   
  
“Listen, miss Marshall, I am new to Mystic Falls high and I heard about your daughter so much from Rafael” Josie began speaking, playing around with the papers of her notebook before passing it to the mother, fearing she might rip at the edges “long story short, we plan to a trip to the Mikaelson’s household in New Orleans. We’re trying to find them, me and Rafael”   
  
Hayley swallowed loudly, dropping her gaze for the first time as she accepted the notebook in her lap. She believed that her daughter was alive, that’s why she could pass a day without crying herself to sleep. But she honestly didn’t expect to receive the news from a girl around her daughter’s age.   
  
“We’re not sure about their actual location, but we have a new information that might lead us somewhere finally” Josie shrugged sheepishly, wanting to reach for the woman’s hand, to try and comfort Hayley as she read through the pages briefly “I’m sorry it took me this long”   
  
“darling, you have done plenty already. You shouldn’t apologize. You didn’t even know my daughter but you still try to find her” Hayley took Josie’s palm, squeezing it ever so softly before closing down the notebook “why would you risk yourself for her?’   
  
“I want to know her so bad,” it was the first time Josie admitted this truth out loud. Spending time with Rafael sparked romantic feelings at the beginning, but now she was always thinking about his ex. Josie never meant to fall in love with a figure of her imagination, but she couldn’t stop it now “I heard stories about her for months, I want to know the real version”    
  
“well, you are the closest person to find her yet. I like you already and I know my daughter would love you as well” Hayley gave Josie a sincere smile, for the first time in a while, Hayley believed she would see Hope soon.

Josie listed all the snacks she had on her bed in her head. Rafael was on his way over to pick her up, claiming that he was ready to go and sounded a pure mix of excited and nervous.   
  
Alaric watched earlier that evening as his daughter gave the best performance of her life, begging to go and meet Penelope back at home along with Rafael, who promised to take her. The father felt bad enough that Josie preferred acting instead of just asking calmly to agree with the ridiculous idea, besides, Lizzie’s entire speech about letting the annoying sister leave was hilarious.   
  
Josie was finally arranging her beg with 5 sets of clothes and the too many snacks for the trip before accepting a call from Rafael.   
  
“Jo, I’ll be over in two minutes,” the voice on the other side of the line sent chills down Josie’s back, and she wondered if those chills were due to Rafael himself or rather the woman she was sent on her trip for “Louis is more upset about us being away than his car”   
  
“that’s what we were wishing for” Josie reached for her bag before leaving the room.   
  
Josie didn’t know how she was going to be when she returns home, whether Hope would sit beside her on the way back or if they would arrive back at Mystic Falls empty handed. They didn’t find any real evidence that the group would be found in New Orleans, and that what scared both Josie and Rafael the most.   
  
“maybe,” Rafael tried to catch Josie’s attention without even realizing he didn’t have it “but it is going to be fun, and you are going to help me focus on the road or else I’m going to lose my mind”   
  
It wasn’t an issue until he mentioned it, but Josie was going to help him bring back his friends, the friends that everyone believed to be dead. They might find it to be the truth, and she wouldn’t know how to face it. But they might come across nothing.   
  
“Raf, you really are brave to want to do all of this, to save them” Josie reached the door only after waving at her father from the bottom of the stairs.   
  
They haven’t spoken about this either, that the two of them were sent on the mission with different agendas. Rafael missed Hope dearly, Josie knew as much as that, but he needed to have Landon back. Josie hoped, in a selfish place in her heart, that Hope will see her as the savior, and not Rafael.   
  
“I’m scared that if something really did happen to them and we would find one of their bodies-” he stopped speaking as he stopped the car beside her, the words stuck in his throat.

_ It was late at night when a knock on the door stirred Hope awake. She moved from Landon’s grasp to stand right on the other side of the door. It was the first night that Landon was actually sleeping at the same time she was. _ _   
_ _   
_ _ “Hope?” the voice on the other side was supposed to sound foreign, but something about the warmth seemed familiar “may I enter?”  _ _   
_ _   
_ _ Hope stepped back as the door was unlocked, a tall man in a suit stepped inside. She knew exactly where she saw him before, but knew better than to step any closer to him. If her own father captured her here, what would her uncle do? _ _   
_ _   
_ _ His smile was blinding, his white teeth were the brightest thing Hope had seen in days “hey, sweetheart, I’m so happy I could find you awake” _ _   
_ _   
_ _ “you can always come at daytime” Hope mumbled, stepping forward with a sarcastic smile “but I guess you’d risk being caught by your brother visiting your niece”  _ _   
_ _   
_ _ “well,” Elijah smiled sadly, his eyes too sincere to be taking a part of all of this nonsense “it’s nice to meet you Hope” _ _   
_ _   
_ _ “I wish it was nice to meet you, uncle” Hope’s heart couldn’t handle his apologetic gaze any longer “I’m tired, do you mind telling my mother to come pick me up?” _

  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry it took so long, i've been stumbling over my own feet with this story and I just want it to be perfect. Thank you so much for reading, hope you liked it!


	4. road trip

_Landon never expected to care for Hope the way he did, but 10 years later and many adventures their way, Landon knew that he would do anything for her._ _  
_ _  
_ _After Hope met Elijah, it was as if her light ran out. Knowing that it wasn’t only her father’s job at abducting them was breaking her spirit slowly, leaving MG and Landon to watch her fall apart._ _  
_ _  
_ _“Do you think, that if we ever get out of here alive she would get back to herself?” MG whispered under his breath, watching Hope as she tried to force herself to sleep at the middle of the day._ _  
_ _  
_ _“I think we won’t ever get back to ourselves fully, any of us” Landon whispered back, his eyes watering easily._ _  
_ _  
_ _He could only hope he would go back to the easy going guy he used to be. He never had an easy life, but he could handle being left alone at Rafael’s house or even being picked on. He didn’t even know if he’d have the chance for a better life than before._ _  
_ _  
_ _“do you think we’d ever see our friends again?” MG asked, making both Landon and Hope hearts’ break._ _  
_ _  
_ **waypoint: Mystic Falls, Virginia. 14 hours to New Orleans.** _  
_ _  
_ Josie turned around in her spot after Rafael hung up the phone, claiming that he had arrived outside of the house. His voice was different, Josie knew that they would have to speak about his stress.   
  
“Jo,” Lizzie whispered, nearing her twin beside the door hopefully without catching the attention of their father. She wrapped her arms tightly around Josie’s waist “please be careful, it would suck losing you too”   
  
Josie rolled her eyes fondly, her arms sneaking around her sister’s shoulders for a rare moment before stepping away “I’d call you, or text at least twice a day”   
  
“I might hunt you down with dad if you won’t,” Lizzie shrugged slowly, watching the door behind Josie’s head “and watch out for him”   
  
“I will,” Josie opened the door and stepped outside, feeling her sister’s gaze on her back as she paced towards the car.   
  
Rafael watched Lizzie from inside the house, only acknowledging her with a soft nod of his head. He seemed to be losing his mind as Josie climbed into the seat beside him, she watched his profile with soft eyes as he wouldn’t turn to gaze back at her.   
  
“we can cancel everything,” she whispered, her voice so gentle, almost scared of his reaction “you can come inside and we could study and give the notebook to the police”   
  
“no, we’re going to get them back, Jo” he whispered right back, meeting her eyes only after running his fingers over his face “I can’t back out now, I miss them too much”   
  
“look, if you change your mind we can just turn around and come back, ok?” Josie promised, reaching for his hand, she needed him to want this, to be on board fully.   
  
“yeah sure” he nodded quickly, squeezing her hand as if they were fine, but dropping his gaze down to the wheel once again “we have to go and see Kaleb before we leave. If it’s okay with you?”   
  
“it makes sense, but why now?” Josie leaned back in her seat watching Rafael turning on the engine, moving almost awkwardly.   
  
“because they never told me before they left,” he whispered, sounding as broken as he used to be everytime someone mentioned Landon or just spoke about the bonfire “and look how great it turned out. No one knew where they were until you arrived and started putting 2 and 2 together”   
  
“well I had only 2 and you gave me the others, or Keelin did” she grinned, hoping to make him feel slightly better and as if she was magic, maybe she actually was, his real smile appeared above the stressed expression “come on, you’re driving too slow”   
  
Rafael decided to speak with Kaleb by himself, forgetting momenterly that Josie’s magic wasn’t only affecting him, that she was his best weapon to the disappointment he knew he’d see on Kaleb’s face.   
  
When Kaleb reached the door to meet Rafael, he could already sense the uncomfortable nerves in the way he leaned against the doorframe and fiddled with his fingers “hey man, what’s up?”   
  
“you tell me, showing up at night with no heads up” Kaleb shrugged his shoulders, watching the car behind Rafael with suspicion, missing Josie in the passenger seat “are you finally running away?”   
  
Rafael sighed, his eyes meeting Kaleb’s before he spoke “look, we are going to find MG, Landon and Hope. I just wanted to tell you before we left”   
  
“what do you mean by we?” Kaleb wondered out loud, his shoulder pressed too tightly into the door frame, the wheels already spinning in his head and he leaned forward to watch the car once again.   
  
“it’s actually a bit complicated, Josie was the one to do the whole research” Rafael scratched the back of his head, feeling uneasy not for the first time that evening “I’m just the muscles”   
  
Kaleb raised an eyebrow “so you’re going on a rescue mission with Jo?”   
  
“dude, we would bring them back,” Rafael tried to reason, his smile soft “just trust me, I would bring MG back as soon as I can”   
  
“I’m glad that she found them, but it doesn’t make any sense that she’s the one to go. She doesn’t even know them” Kaleb pointed out, he turned his back to Rafael and started walking farther into the house, letting the door shut slowly behind him “your feelings stand in the way of logic”   
  
It was almost a better reaction than he expected, Rafael watched the door sadly. He turned around to grin sheepishly at Josie before stepping away and back towards the car.   
  
Josie met him half the way, leaning against the car “you know, he has a point” her calm voice broke the awkward silence, she didn’t even looked ashamed for listening to their conversation “they are his friends, Kaleb has the right to save them”  
  
“you found them, Josie, you could’ve easily decided to take Kaleb instead of me. But it has to be you” Rafael reached for Josie’s arm, squeezing right above her wrist softly before grinning cheekily “you must be the one to find her, I know you want that”   
  
Josie knew that he meant well, that by now he knew that she made this research for Hope but she also did it for herself, a selfish part of her needed to see such a hard research being solved by her own work, maybe it wasn’t as selfish as it was competitive. Maybe it wasn’t selfish as much as it was desperate.   
  
“let’s go,” Rafael pushed Josie, giving her an honest smile “you better like her very much, if you’re risking your life to save her from her lunatic father”   
  
“oh I better like her, I agree with you” Josie let a small smile escape as she made her way to the other side of the car to slide back inside. Only after Rafael started up the car was Josie ready to admit “we’re really doing it, aren’t we?”   
  
Rafael didn’t answer, only gave her a soft smile.   
  
**waypoint: Reidsville, North Carolina. 12 hours to New Orleans.**   
  
Josie lifted her head at the sudden halt, she blinked away the sleep as she took in her surroundings.   
  
Josie could tell you herself, she always ended up asleep within seconds of the start of a ride. She tried, turning the music slightly too high and singing along, but she fell asleep anyways.   
  
Rafael hummed along with the radio, his eyes heavy and watchful as he darted his gaze between two shady motels, just across the road from one another.   
  
“what are you thinking about?” Josie mumbled, almost too tired to even ask louder than a whisper.   
  
“which receptionist won’t make a sex joke if we enter their motel together” Rafael cringed, his eyes falling down to the wheel “just choose the one that looks better”   
  
Josie gave him a soft grin, pointing at the motel to her right with ease “I don’t mind what the receptionist would say, I just want to find a bed”   
  
“me too, let’s go” Rafael exited the car, grabbing both his and Josie’s bag before the two made their way towards the entrance.  
  
Rafael sat on his bed, watching as Josie got ready for the night. Her suitcase was wide open on the floor, her clothes too organized for her own good.   
  
“what’s going on?” she began, taking a seat on the opposite bed from him. His eyes dark and sad, too sad “are you ok, Raf?”   
  
“I don’t know” he shrugged, his eyes never leaving hers.   
  
Rafael never held back his feelings, always wore them on the sleeve of his shirt, very similar to Josie. While he could hope that the girl feels the same about him, he knew better. He knew that there was something different in the way she watched him than the way he watched her.   
  
“Why won’t you talk to me then?” Josie moved swiftly to sit beside him, bumping their shoulders together softly. She wanted to push him into speaking, hoping it would make him feel better. She didn’t know it was going to be the conversation she could never take back.   
  
“because my head is all over the place, and let’s not speak about my heart” he leaned his head back against the wall “I just want a simple answer so I can know how to move forward with my life”   
  
“I’m sorry I pulled you back into this mess, Raf” Josie held his forearm, knowing that he needed something to ground him “I just saw Hope on the poster, heard you speak about her so lovingly. I’m sorry I brought you into this”   
  
“I never blamed you. I needed someone to believe that they are alive beside me, and you did that. Somehow you saved me while you found them, at least we hope you did” he made her blush so easily, sometimes she wished she could just love him.   
  
“Raf-” Josie began but was soon stopped by a soft hand on her cheek. Rafael’s eyes were too warm, making Josie shiver.   
  
“I know you think you were being selfish,” he began, wrapping a strong palm around her jaw “but I know that at the end of the day you were doing everything for me, or at least mostly for me”  
  
Even more confused, Josie stumbled over her words as she tried to escape his hold. She never meant to mislead him this way. She’d much rather find Hope alone, make her believe she’s the hero who saved her, the only hero. She’d much rather set Rafael up with Lizzie, let them be happy together.   
  
“Raf, wait” Josie tried to push him away, but she was too slow, Rafael left a sweet kiss on her lips.   
  
“I just wanted you to know that I’m doing it for you as much as I’m doing it for them by now” he whispered, hovering slightly over her lips before backing out and eyeing her longingly, the way she looked at pictures of Hope.   
  
“I’m not sure you understand,” Josie whispered back, rising to her feet and moving around towards her own bed “goodnight, Raf”  
  
Josie waited until he closed the lights to close her eyes, a tear sliding down her cheek.  
  
 **waypoint: Blacksburg, South Carolina. 10 hours to New Orleans.** **  
****  
**Josie found it easier to stay quiet rather than speaking her mind. More often than not, Josie picked the road of driving herself insane instead of just spitting out what she was thinking in fear of hurting someone.  
  
If Lizzie knew the way Josie was feeling, she would’ve done the job for her, and maybe that’s why the only option she had in mind to solve her growing anxiety was to call Lizzie.   
  
If there was anything that Josie knew for a fact about her twin was that at times of crisis she had the best impulses, or maybe, just the best in the heart’s area.   
  
Rafael was mindlessly driving, his soft smile permanent since their conversation the night before. He was unaware of the problematic feelings Josie was trying so desperately to hide.   
  
“hey Raf,” Josie broke the comfortable silence, almost fearing Rafael’s reaction “do you mind stopping for a while? I want to call Lizzie”   
  
“Sure, I started to get hungry anyways” Rafael settled on driving towards the closest gas station as Josie shot a rushed text to Lizzie.   
  
Lizzie was at school, as it was still early, but was too glad to excuse herself from class “well, I’m always happy to help you out dear sister”   
  
“hello to you too, Liz” Josie couldn’t help but grin, it hasn't been more than 24 hours but she wasn’t used to being away from her twin for more than a few short hours “how’s school? how’s dad?”   
  
“boring and- well. Boring too” Lizzie chuckled “you left less than 15 hours ago and he already talks about missing you, it gets old faster than I believed it would”   
  
“well, I’m too busy to think about his pouty face” Josie walked back and forth beside the car, she watched as Rafael devoured his meal with a pleased grin inside the diner.   
  
“you’re probably too busy thinking about your own” Lizzie joked,making Josie roll her eyes fondly “or that girl of yours that you like a little too much”   
  
“I never even saw her pout” Josie ignored Lizzie's accusation lamely, her eyes wandering around.   
  
“you just think she’s too pretty to pout” Lizzie mumbled, reading through her sister way too easily “you know I love teasing you, but why did you call?”   
  
“well, you’re going to say I told you so, but-” Josie breathed deeply before rambling on “Rafael kissed me last night and I’m not sure I can even deal with him for the rest of the trip if I reject him right now”   
  
“hey, breath” in a split second, the very mature part of her twin sister arrived and replaced the teasing with calming words “you’ve done so far to find Hope you can’t let the boy toy interrupt you now”   
  
“he’s not a boy toy, and that’s the problem” Josie paced once again, her eyes watering slightly “he’s my friend, and my feelings for Hope is going to ruin the only relationship I ever made with anyone”   
  
“Jo, it’s definitely not the only relationship you ever made, you keep our relationship alive since we were kids. What makes you so wonderful is that you love people so deeply, and you make others love you just the same” Lizzie soothed softly.   
  
“but what if it scares him away?” Josie asked, her voice shaky.   
  
“right now, he’s not going to know anything beside the fact that you, Josette Saltzman, are not ready to date. Because your monstrous ex is still your best friend” she mumbled “so the only thing you need to do now is to let him know that she is still here, and she will kill this poor guy for hitting on you”   
  
“she will, won’t she” Josie’s chuckle was like a breath of fresh air, speaking about Penelope just made her feel better “thank you, Liz. You once again saved me from myself”   
  
“that’s why I’m here, stay away from my guy” Lizzie mumbled, Josie could even see her rolling her eyes “I love you, stay safe”   
  
“I love you too, don’t be too much trouble for dad”   
  
**waypoint: Greenville, South Carolina. 9 hours to New Orleans.**   
  
Josie spent the hour since they started driving again, thinking. Lizzie knew exactly what to say to break her constant train of thoughts - but without Lizzie directly by her side, the train never actually stopped.   
  
They just entered a small town, the first time they arrived at a populated area at an earlier hour than 8 pm. Josie watched Rafael from the side of her eye, thinking of ways to make their silence less awkward.   
  
“so,” Josie began, but stopped immediately. She had nothing to say.   
  
“what’s going on, Jo?” Rafael let out a sigh, finally as if he was waiting for her to make the first move.   
  
“what are you planning to do with Landon once he’s back?” it was the first thing that came to her mind. The three disappearances were the easiest topic for her, the reason they got so close in the first place.   
  
Rafael turned to meet her gaze with a devilish smirk, his eyes were never brighter “make for the lost time, maybe finally set him up with someone as good as he is. Maybe even with Lizzie”   
  
Josie rolled her, trying to picture her twin with the skinny poster boy was almost impossible “maybe we should do the end of the year bonfire”   
  
“me and Landon are officially turning brothers. I’m a little scared they would send him back to the system and I think my parents would be fine with taking him in” it was the first time he admitted to his truth, he feared that only after getting Landon back, he would officially be taken away from him.   
  
“have he been through the system for long?” Josie questioned. She heard a few minor details about Landon before. That he was the heart of their group, that he was annoyingly confident sometimes and that he was by its definition, Rafael’s soft spot.   
  
“he had been through a couple of houses through the years. Most couples liked him enough to help him find a new house before forcing him out” his voice was almost too sad to his usual tone “Moera and David, the last couple, were doing it mostly for the money but did provided a good home for him over the last two years”   
  
“what about his real parents? I mean, we know he’s a curious guy, maybe we should help find them” Josie couldn’t help but push. She knew that if both Rafael and Hope liked this guy, then she must like him too.   
  
“take it easy, Jo, let’s save the kid first” Rafael gave her a confident grin, his eyes landing on a restaurant right in front of him “are you ready to eat? Before we’re leaving the city to the wildness again?”   
  
“yeah, I can eat” Josie nodded, turning side eyes to Rafael with her own grin “the question is, can you eat?”   
  
“I am always ready to eat” Rafael licked his lips, his eyes widening childishly.   
  
**waypoint: Montgomery, Alabama. 4 hours to New Orleans.** **  
****  
**Rafael chose the cheapest motel in the city. Josie knew that their trip was more expensive than what they planned, and they hadn't even arrived in New Orleans yet.  
  
As they neared tho, Josie could sense Rafael’s nerves. This trip meant the world to him, the answer at the end of it would change his life as he knows it. Josie was only in it for the girl, ok for the adventure as well.   
  
“do you mind telling me something? Anything to take my mind off tomorrow?” he asked. They laid in the dark in a small, simple motel room, bed beside bed. Rafael’s breathing was uneven, almost like he was trying to avoid having a panic attack.   
  
“do you have something in mind?” Josie closed her eyes. Of course he had something in mind. Landon, Hope and MG were there all the time “I mean, do you want me to tell you anything specific?”   
  
“you mentioned your ex, back when we first met. You never told me about him” Rafael said as if he was trying not to shrug his shoulders.   
  
“her,” Josie said with a soft smile “I never told you about her”   
  
“why is that?” he asked.   
  
“she’s my best friend. She’s the only person to really know me and the things that make me tick. She’s incredible” Josie rambled softly, the smile permanent on her lips “she’s the best and worst person I know altogether”   
  
“what’s her name?”   
  
“Penelope,” she said, her eyes shining in the dark “she was the only real friend I ever made, before you and Kaleb. She and I became friends while I was only Lizzie’s nerdy twin. She loves me for it. She doesn’t mind if I go a little overboard on doing simple things”   
  
“Why did you break up then?” Rafael asked, a hint of sadness in his voice “it seems like you still love her”   
  
“I will always love her. It might be a cliché, but she’s my first love and she will forever hold a special place in my heart. But Penelope made me climb out of my shell, and while doing so, I found that she is my best friend and only that for a reason”   
  
“she sounds great” he whispered, “very special”   
  
“if she knew you she would have eaten you alive” Josie chuckled. Imaging Penelope scaring Rafael off with one sharp look “she doesn’t like boys that come too close to me. You need to be very special for her to like you”   
  
“don’t you think I can make her like me?”   
  
“I think you would kill each other. No kidding. I’m really scared to see what she’d think about you” Josie mumbled, turning around to lay on her side so she could face him. Rafael mimicked her, turning to face her as well.   
  
“have you told her about me?” he asked, his eyes meeting hers in the darkness.   
  
“I did, but it’s not the same as meeting you. She would come to visit at the end of the year, hopefully. I think Kaleb would love her. I hope the others will love her as well” Josie closed her eyes shortly. Rafael’s gaze was too intense.   
  
“you’re really sure that she won’t like me,” Rafael said. It wasn’t a question. A simple statement. “why is that? You seem to like me very much. She won’t trust your call on this?”  
  
“no. She likes to decide for herself. For example, she still hates Lizzie. There’s nothing I can do to change that. I gave up a while ago” Josie rolled her eyes fondly.   
  
“do you think she’ll like me enough, for you I mean?” he asked, almost shyly. He felt as if this ex that he never even heard of before was standing between them like a wall, and the wall didn’t have a door to go through.   
  
“no,” Josie replied honestly. It wasn’t about her own feelings, Penelope would never like anyone enough for her and she knew it. Hopefully, she’d give Hope a chance tho “it has nothing to do with you, I think she’s just too over protective”   
  
“okay” he whispered, turning again until he laid on his back. “thanks Jo, for helping me with my mind”   
  
“of course. Goodnight Raf”   
  
She watched as he turned his back to her, she fell asleep wishing for things to be easier.   
  
**waypoint: the Mikaelsons safe house, New Orleans, Louisiana.**   
  
It almost felt surreal as Rafael came to a stop outside of a white country house. They left their motel too early, eating hurriedly to make it to New Orleans by noon. They drove in silence, neither of them too eager to speak their mind.   
  
The house was beautiful, isolated from others for miles through, but was too well maintained to make either of them care. It was, in fact, the perfect place to hide 3 teenagers “do you think it’s the right place?” Rafael almost gaped at the wide house.   
  
“I think it would definitely make sense” Josie reached for the handle but stopped before opening “let me do the talking?”   
  
“of course, I’m not sure I can finish a complete sentence in front of anyone who’s related to Klaus before punching them in the face” he smiled sheepishly, sounding guilty.   
  
“I understand you perfectly” Josie smiled softly, squeezing his palm in hers “you wouldn’t be you if this thought haven’t crossed your mind”   
  
The two escaped the car and marched towards the door. Josie felt as the air became thicker, harder to breath, as they made their steps closer. As if the danger sucked all the air out of the atmosphere.   
  
Rafael knocked on the door, he looked as if he was about the throw up right there on the threshold.   
  
It was just like their meeting with Freya all over again, a blonde woman opened the door hesitantly.   
  
“hello?” the woman gazed between the two teenagers, she seemed younger and softer, as if life hasn’t caught up to her yet “brother, have you invited anyone over?”   
  
They didn’t hear a response, only watched the small shift in the woman’s smile before she said cheekily “well, who are you?”   
  
The other differences between her and Freya was the heavy british accent, It didn’t seem to faze Rafael as he sent daggers in the woman’s direction.   
  
“I’m Josie” she began, sending an all too soft smile at the woman “this is my friend Rafael. We are looking for Hope”   
  
“you are the famous guy Hayley could never shut up about. Hope’s ex? or boyfriend? I don’t keep up on gossip” she ignored Josie’s words as she assured them inside “god, you should be thankful that Klaus is dead, otherwise he would’ve killed you for touching his baby girl”  
  
She was the best actress, Josie could already tell. She tried to keep watching the blonde while she took in the beautiful, historical house.   
  
“my name is Rebekah, but you already know that if you arrived all the way over here” she fell on the couch, watching with a grin as the teenagers fumbled awkwardly “come on, take a seat. My brother would want me to host nicely”   
  
Josie followed Rebekah’s words first, taking a seat and watching Rafael until he did the same “well, do you know where Hope is?” Josie almost cringed at her own words.   
  
“If I knew where Hope is, we wouldn’t be sitting here. At least not without her” Rebekah moved around, almost uncomfortable, but she knew how to hide. Josie watched her closely “look, Elijah’s plan since Klaus died was to keep Hope safe”   
  
“I heard my name and I am not sure that I like the concept of it”   
  
To the room entered a tall suited man, he seemed older and more composed than Rebekah ever could seem. He gave his sister a soft grin before turning his attention to their guests.   
  
“brother” Rebekah gave him a sly smirk in return “we are asked about Hope”   
  
“oh, my favorite niece” his smile was too sad to be faked.   
  
“well, your only niece” Rebekah rolled her eyes fondly “at least until Kol decides to make things real with Dev”   
  
“that bastard, we’re doomed until either of us decide to change that”   
  
The silence that fell between them was tense, Rafael gave Josie a confused look. He knew that she was the one to spot the lies, but they were too real to lie about something that big, he could only hope.   
  
“I’m sorry” she was also a better actor than he was, Josie’s tone caught the both siblings attention “we didn’t mean to push the subject. She’s important to us too”   
  
Elijah noticed the way she squirmed in her seat and took pity on her “do you want anything to eat? You’ve done a long way to get here”   
  
Rafael’s stomach chose that second to make a loud sound, making Rebekah chuckle “I think we have some leftovers from last night’s dinner. Let’s go to the kitchen”  
  
“I’m going to make a call” Josie squeezed Rafael’s shoulder as she passed him, giving a nod to the Mikaelson siblings before escaping the room.   
  
Josie didn’t like to hear the word no, at least Rebekah and Elijah’s answer felt a lot like a no to Josie. She paced outside of the door before reaching for her phone.   
  
“Jo Jo Jo” the voice on the other side was a light bursting into Josie’s depressing situation “it’s like ho ho ho”   
  
Penelope’s laugh filled Josie’s ears “hey Penny”   
  
“your voice breaks my heart” Josie could almost see Penelope’s pout, it made Josie smile so easily.   
  
“well, I’m actually stuck in my research and if anyone can push me in the right direction it has to be you” she whispered, stepping down the path and walking around the house.   
  
“research?” Penelope asked, confusion mixed with worry sounded in her voice “where are you?”   
  
“I’m in New Orleans” Josie watched the back yard as it came into full view. Wide lawn spread until the beginning of the woods, with a small shed just beside it. Josie watched with confusion as the tools that were usually to be found inside of it were leaning against the side, as if someone was too lazy to put them inside, or if it didn’t have enough space for them, “remember the group that was abducted?”   
  
“what are you-” Penelope began before cutting herself off “oh god, you’ve found them! of course you did. I don’t know why I’m even surprised”   
  
“I haven’t found them, yet. At least, I hope I’m close” Josie sighed, nearing the woods with careful steps “I received an address leading me here, but all I found is two adults that are acting too good to pretend”   
  
“how can I help?” Penelope asked, sounding more confused than before “I wish I could do a magic trick and show up to help you, but I’m still learning the easy spells. Teleportation is for old witches”   
  
Josie couldn’t help but laugh, soon joined by Penelope. She reached the shed and tried to open the door with a soft push. It seemed to be locked, or at least very tightly shut. From up close she could see the dark metal framing the door. “I just wish there was a way for me to know. I just want to find them and know they are safe so I can find my way back to a normal life”   
  
“you just want to be a hero, that’s okay Jo” Penelope said softly “just try and look around for any abnormalities. If this is the place they are kept, you’re going to find them”   
  
Josie turned around to watch the shed from a few steps away, as if she could see inside “I am actually standing in front of a shed where all of the tools, or at least a lot of tools are outside and the door is locked”   
  
“are you there alone? Try and open it. If they aren’t there, the people that are there are going to call the police on you, but maybe it will be worth it” Penelope hummed gently.   
  
“hey Jo!” Rafael’s voice sounded loud and clear and Josie flinched “food’s ready”   
  
“is that your company? Does he look better than me? Is he into you? Have you told them that your ex is a murder and that I would kill him? Does he look better than me?”   
  
“bye Penny, love you!” Josie couldn’t help but chuckle as Rafael came closer, she put the phone in the left pocket of her jeans.   
  
“what are you doing here?” Rafael stopped right next to her, grinning sheepishly in her direction “how was the call? Is Lizzie doing alright?”   
  
“I was actually talking with Penelope” Josie shrugged, her eyes meeting Rafael’s before turning back to look at the shed “I think we’d have to look at this place after lunch, or even before we go”   
  
Rafael stepped closer to the shed, trying to open the door with a push. Josie watched carefully as he moved back to her side “I can kick this door open after I’m fed”   
  
“you’re like a baby, we need to give you food every few hours to prevent you crying” Josie pulled on his arm with a giggle.   
  
“shut up, I’m still growing. I have to eat” Rafael deadpanned, making Josie laugh even harder “come on, she has vegetarian lasagna leftovers, just for you. It smelled like heaven”   
  
“you see, she’s not so bad” Josie began walking with Rafael at her side.   
  
“I wish they were. If I find Hope here, I’m not sure I can ever treat people without suspecting they are crazy abductors first” he whispered as they neared the house “but I prefer suspicion with my friends around rather than this alternative”   
  
“I get it,” Josie nodded, turning her gaze for a split second back to the small wooden shed that kept alive all of her hope “let’s just finish eating and then we’d come out here to check, ok?”   
  
Sitting at the table with Rebekah almost felt normal to Josie. Something about her soft smile and the easy comments made her feel like she was there for a reason. She knew how to pretend well enough, so she listened to the blonde’s story while watching the yard from the window just behind her head.   
  
“The last time they were here was when Hope was too young to remember,” Rebekah mumbled after a small bite of her food. Rafael couldn’t help but watch her as she spoke “it was for her 5th birthday, just before they moved to Mystic Falls. I haven’t seen her since, just spoke with her over the phone”   
  
“were you two close?” Rafael found himself asking. He never heard of his best friend’s aunt, and he always believed he was her closest friend. Something was off “you and Hope?”   
  
“not as much as I wanted us to be,” Rebekah shrugged “she loved Elijah, tho. He was the only one out of us that was different enough from Klaus not to hurt her”   
  
Rafael couldn’t find any more questions to ask, at least questions that didn’t sound like a police investigation. He turned to ask for Josie’s help when he noticed she was anywhere but there, staring into thin air.   
  
“are you finished? we have a long drive back home” he mumbled, catching Josie’s attention.   
  
“yeah, um. Thank you, Rebekah. It was the best meal I had in 3 days” Josie grinned at the blonde, her plate cleaned out. She stood up, taking her plate and leaving it in the sink.   
  
“Yes, we can agree on that one” Rafael grinned too, following Josie to the kitchen and catching her eyes.   
  
“are you ready?” she whispered, casting a glance at Rebekah, who already returned to her place in the living room.   
  
“thank you so much for having us, we hope we can bring you some good news about your niece” Rafael moved to the living room as well.   
  
He pushed Josie towards the door, only stopping once to check he had everything. Josie led the two of them out of the door and back towards the big yard.   
  
“how are we playing this? I can try and break the lock” Josie suggested as they moved closer and closer.   
  
Before, Josie was too busy with Penelope to even try and hear if there’s something on the other side of the wooden door, but after she finished her sentence, they could hear it. A hum. As if someone was speaking but they couldn’t understand what they were saying.   
  
“I’m so scared,” Josie admitted as she stopped walking. Her legs felt like jello, like another step would potentially make her stop walking for good.   
  
“why are you scared?” Rafael turned around as he walked, stepping farther away from her “if they’re here, it would be our best outcome, if they’re not, we’d deal with it later”   
  
“how did you get so mature and smart?” Josie asked with a grin as she began walking again, slowly.   
  
“I was around you for 3 days, it has to have an impact” he winked before turning back around.   
  
They stopped right in front of the door, the noises from inside were loud enough to hear clearly. Rafael pushed Josie backwards as he readied himself, his eyes carrying fire that Josie never once saw before.   
  
He kicked the door effortlessly, breaking the lock.   
  
Josie wondered if this was it. If this was her moment of being a hero. She did everything she could to find them and the answer was behind the door. But what if she was wrong? what if it was Klaus that was waiting for them there and not Hope?   
  
While Josie’s very wrong time daydreaming, Rafael pushed open the door. His breath got caught in his throat as he spotted 3 teenagers laying on their makeshifts beds on the floor, looking too pale and too skinny to the version of them that he knew and loved, the one he hadn’t seen for more than 5 months.   
  
“Rafael?” Landon, as the one closest to the door, broke the silent. His eyes were squinted tightly to protect his eyes from the bright noon light. Rafael lifted him up from his place on the floor, squeezing him up with a tight hug.   
  
“hey brother, sorry I took so long” Rafael whispered, it was clearly only meant for Landon to hear, but it brought tears to Josie’s eyes as she watched the two of them together.   
  
When Landon freed Rafael, he moved aside and out of the shed to let Rafael have his moments with their friends. In front of Josie stood an even thinner version of the already skinny poster boy she learned to love. His hair was longer too, it was pushed behind his head in a ponytail.   
  
“I’m Josie” she reached her hand forward, almost shyly. Landon gave her a wide grin and took her palm in his “I’m so happy I actually got to meet you”   
  
“he’s the least interesting out of us” Landon was pushed aside as MG escaped the shed as well, grinning from ear to ear up at the sky, already missing Josie right in front of him “I almost forgot that the sky is blue”   
  
“it usually was grey through our time here, it never stopped raining” Landon elbowed MG in his stomach “the one time I was out the air smelled fresh. It was the best experience I had here” 

“no it was definitely not” a soft, feminine voice sounded behind the two guys, as if she knew she would be heard without even trying too hard. The two of them moved aside to let her pass through.   
  
Josie was a strong woman, she could tell you that. She has been through more heartache than the average teenager. But it was as if nothing prepared her for this, the moment her eyes landed on the girl she was constantly thinking about. She lost her breath as she gazed at Hope Mikaelson for the first time.   
  
From her bright blue eyes, that stood out on her white skin. Her long wavy hair, that seemed to reach down to her waist without even trying. She didn’t even have to try to be the most beautiful girl Josie had ever seen, she was just that. Even prettier than in the poster, utterly perfect.   
  
“you learned how to braid my hair in our second week here and it’s been your therapy, so don’t lie” Hope reached for Landon’s hair, ruffling it softly “are you going to cut it, now that we’re going home?”   
  
“I don’t-” Landon was cut short by his best friend.   
  
“oh, home. Almost forgot that we are still on enemy territory” Rafael threw his arm around Landon’s shoulder before reaching for Hope’s palm as well “we have a hell of a trip to do”   
  
“wait,” Hope’s voice stopped them, still this soft and silky, and almost too tired “you haven’t introduced me to your pretty friend”   
  
“Hope? In the car please” Rafael pointed at the car almost impaintely, watching as Hope walked closer while her eyes gazed up and down Josie’s body.  
  
Josie bowed her head as a bright red blush covered her neck up to the peak of her ears. This was going to be a long journey back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey guys!  
> sorry it took so long, I just finished my year at uni and had this massive project I had to make.  
> They've met, finally. Hope you liked it:)  
> thank you so much for reading!


	5. the road back home

**waypoint: the Mikaelsons safe house, New Orleans, Louisiana.** **  
**  
Josie was the last to arrive at the car, her head still busy with the fact that she finally met Hope, finally met everyone. Her eyes darted between the mansion behind her and the car right before her in disbelief.   
  
She wasn’t afraid of Rebekah Mikaelson, not at all. The woman almost seemed harmless, or at the very least too loving about her niece to ever try and harm someone who also cares for her. But the thing that did scare her was this big change in her near future, and as we already know, Josie hates changes.   
  
Her friendship with Rafael was going to dramatically transfer and Josie wasn’t sure she was ready for the outcome. Since the very second Rafael set his eyes on his friends, something shifted. It was as if he was scared to even look at Josie, as if she reminded him of the time that his life was incomplete.   
  
“are you coming?” Landon leaned against the passenger seat of the car, watching her as she walked slowly. His friends already squeezed inside the small car, the back door open for her.   
  
“yeah -” Josie met his gaze, giving him a small apologetic smile “I’m not very good with changes. I guess, I’m just a little overwhelmed”   
  
“aren’t we all?” he grinned sheepishly, shrugging his shoulders before sticking his hands in his jeans’ pockets. He almost looked awkward “I was just rescued after being stuck in a shed for 5 months. I’m more than a little overwhelmed”   
  
“I’m glad I get to meet you,” Josie admitted, finally reaching his side. She squeezed his shoulder, the grin on her face almost too loving for a boy she never met before “I’m also very glad that you’re okay”   
  
“I’m glad too” he watched as she entered the car, sitting beside Hope with a honest smile of her own “I’m happy I get to meet you too”   
  
**waypoint: Slidell, Louisiana. 13 hours to Mystic Falls, Virginia.** **  
****  
**Josie stirred awake from a sharp turn of the car, Rafael grinned at her through the mirror as she met his gaze. He looked too satisfied to have woken her up by accident, he forced her out of sleep.  
  
She almost cursed him under her breath. Her head was resting very peacefully on Hope’s much shorter and too boney (to be considered comfortable) shoulder. Josie didn’t even get the chance to introduce herself to the other girl, she was too exhausted and fell asleep the second Rafael sped off. **  
****  
**“good morning, sunshine” MG grinned at her, a pair of Louis’ sunglasses covering his face as the sun set slowly. Hope moved around a little, stretching her neck and shoulders.  
  
“you could’ve just told them that I sleep easily” Josie yawned, forcing herself away from the temptation to rest her head against Hope and return to a peaceful sleep “besides, I’m allowed to be exhausted. We traveled 3 days to find you”   
  
Josie leaned back against the seat. She turned her head to the side only to be met with a pair of curious blue eyes that were suddenly too close. Josie almost lost her breath all over again.   
  
“hey there, sleepyhead, I’m Hope. I’m not sure how I made a comfortable pillow, but if you’re not complaining then you’re welcome to do it again” Hope whispered, her smile soft.   
  
“hey Hope” Josie wiped at her eyes with the back of her palms, smiling shyly at the other girl “it’s great to finally meet you, you weren’t such a horrible pillow”   
  
If she could see herself then, Josie knew she would be met with a smitten smile and loving eyes. She could feel it. The calm of being around someone who makes you feel so deeply. The rush of heat in her cheeks and the sweaty palms going smoothly with the happiness.   
  
“where did you find this kitten, Raf?” Hope turned her head slightly, her gaze never leaving Josie’s “so out of character for you”   
  
“she found me, and it stuck” Rafael mumbled, the smile clear in his voice “we bonded over milkshakes and missing teens”   
  
He didn’t have to say it out loud. They became friends over looking for Hope, they both knew it. The first night they shared with her notebook was the thing that pushed them impossibly closer.   
  
“well,” Landon spoke, as if he felt the tension was too heavy on Josie’s shoulders “welcome to this awkward bunch. We are the broken hearts club”   
  
“to officially be welcomed to the club, you must tell us one of the saddest things that happened to you,” MG turned his head to give her a mischievous smirk “for example, all of Rafael’s best friends were abducted by his ex’s crazy father, before that he was still trying out to be apart of us”   
  
“you don’t have-” Rafael and Hope both started at the same time, but stopped at the look of pure horror on Josie’s face. She swallowed hard, trying to think of anything worse than this situation.   
  
“my mother died from cancer when I was 5” Josie offered with a shrug after a few seconds. Rafael almost lost control of the car at her words.   
  
“I didn’t even know that” he mumbled, regaining control of the wheel. He looked at her through the mirror with a broken expression. She could feel his eyes on her even while still looking at Hope.   
  
“are any of you hungry? We can find something edible around here” Landon once again saved them from the silence that was about to fill the car.   
  
“yes. Definitely. I think I will be hungry forever” MG rushed out quickly, moving forward in his seat to be as close to Rafael as the safety belt let him be “dude. I want a cheeseburger, or like a really big pizza. Or both”   
  
“Hope?” Landon questioned, breaking the girl’s train of thoughts. Before answering, she sat up straighter, averting her gaze from Josie for the first time since they began talking.   
  
“I’m good with a burger” she nodded, grinning up at her best friend. Once again he proved he knew how to handle situations better than anyone else. She could only be grateful.   
  
“so it’s settled, the missing kids have decided that we are stopping for food,” Rafael smiled, trying to overcome the new information as smoothly as he could.   
  
Josie followed slowly as the group pilled out of the car, pushing each other playfully towards the small diner. She wasn’t even sure if she should enter the restaurant with them or just let them catch up by themselves.   
  
She knew that she wanted to be a part of this group, which was a big thing. But she wasn’t sure how long it would be until Rafael would learn about her feelings for Hope, and after that she wasn’t sure if she would even have a place with them.   
  
“you coming, kitten?”   
  
Josie stayed beside the car by herself for a few very important moments, trying to catch her breath when MG found her. He stopped right beside her, a grin playing on his lips.   
  
“I feel like I should let you all catch up without me, am I being weird?” Josie asked once MG leaned against the car.   
  
“we accepted you to our group after your story, if it wasn’t obvious. Now you’re stuck with us” he gave her a knowing smile, as if he understood the feeling of being the outsider “I guess I get why you’re not confident about sitting with us, but dude, we want you here”   
  
“you really think that?” Josie bite down on her lip, watching him closely “you don’t have to say it to make me feel better”   
  
“of course! I have no intention in lying to you kitten, you seem too innocent so you won’t understand my joking until you’d get to know me. So just to be clear, I would be honest with you” he pulled on her arm.   
  
“I am not that innocent” Josie disagreed, but finally walked along with him “but thanks for being honest, I need that”   
  
“sure. But just know, that if you ever keep me away from eating again then I would be at least a little angry and I don’t like to be angry”   
  
**waypoint: Greenville, Alabama. 10 hours to Mystic Falls, Virginia.**   
  
Landon slowed down the car as he spotted a small motel at the side of the road, watching through the rearview mirror as Josie once again slept on Hope’s shoulder. Both MG and Rafael were also asleep in their seats. He couldn’t ignore the way he felt calm, having Rafael at his side once again.   
  
It was around 10 and all he wanted to do was crash at a hotel with a real bed and some warm food. He wanted to wash his clothes and maybe even throw them away. He wanted to cut his hair before going back to civilization. Landon parked the car near the entrance, first he should shower, he decided.   
  
Hope stirred first, she was a light sleeper even before the abduction but since then found it hard to sleep for more than an hour. She blinked a few times before catching Landon’s eyes in the mirror.   
  
“you two seem to be getting along well,” he grinned at her, his soft voice but still teasing “it’s good”   
  
“she’s special,” Hope smiled, her eyes dropping to Josie’s hands as they rested in her lap. She whispered “are you tired yet, Lan?”   
  
“I can use a 10 hours nap and maybe a shower. I’m also starving” he mumbled, turning in his seat to face her properly “are you up for a gas station raid?”   
  
“I’m up for anything with flavors, maybe something sugary to remind me there’s still sweetness in this world” her sarcastic answer woke Rafael up, he let out a low chuckle.   
  
“I can grab dinner with Josie” he yawned, stretching in his spot “you can go and get us two rooms, shower and stuff”   
  
“who sleeps with who?” Landon asked. He knew better than to assume, Hope had her own fixtaition on the subject and he had a feeling Rafael had a plan of his own.   
  
“it’s me, you and the sleeping jokester” Hope said, seemingly calm but never once she gazed in Rafael’s direction, as if she thought she was hurting him, as if she couldn’t see the way he looked at Josie.   
  
“So I would share with Jo” Rafael agreed with a winner’s smile of his own. Josie stirred at the sound of her name and lifted a tired gaze to meet Landon’s eyes in the mirror.   
  
“what are we talking about?” she asked, moving away from her place on Hope’s shoulder.   
  
“rooms. Do you have any objections to sharing a room with Raf?” Landon asked with a shrug of his shoulder and soon received a soft shake of Josie’s head in return.   
  
“so it’s settled” Hope smiled warmly, looking relieved.   
  
Josie bowed her head, trying to hide her disappointment. It made sense that on the first night she would still share a room with Rafael, but all sense went out of the window when it had to do with the mess of feelings they still had to talk about. Josie needed some time apart from Rafael to try and understand what she had to say to him. But she knew it was not likely she’d get this time off before getting home.   
  
She watched as Landon reached forward, waiting as Rafael left a credit card in his hand.   
  
“oh, we’re talking big money here kids” Hope leaned closer, turning the card around to read the name on the card with a flirty smile “Louis Waithe, the hot sibling”   
  
“you mean the cool sibling” MG cracked his mouth for the first time, the edge of his smirk making it easy to smile along.   
  
“You mean the loaded sibling” Landon fixed easily “I say, let’s find a normal hotel that offers room service and all. Leave those two to their sad motel”   
  
“shut it,” Rafael rolled his eyes fondly, punching Landon’s shoulder in a friendly manner but earned a whine from the other guy “2 rooms, minimum beds, thank you very much sweetheart”   
  
“yes, sir” Landon made a small bow, waving the credit card in front of MG and Hope in the back seat before he escaped the car in a rush “come on, let’s go buy some candies!”   
  
Rafael and Josie could only watch with smiles at their carefree actions before Josie made her way to the driver’s seat “so, where are we going for food? I bet they’re hungry but I know you and I bet you’re even more hungry”   
  
“yeah, I might die if I won’t eat soon” he deadpanned, his eyes following his friends as they moved “I can’t believe I let them go without me”   
  
“hey, they’ll be okay. We’re only going to bring food and then we’d be back” Josie smiled softly, before something changed in her expression “or do you prefer to go and be with them? I mean, I don’t mind going by myself. I won’t take-”   
  
“Jo, it’s fine. Thanks tho” Rafael nodded, turning his head towards the road “do you think we could drive for a while? until we’d find something proper to eat of course?”   
  
“sure” Josie turned on the engine, her eyes were once again turned to the road ahead “do you want to talk?”   
  
Rafael shrugged his shoulder, opening up the window as Josie raced down. It felt freeing in an odd way, being alone with Rafael once again, as if she didn’t have to pretend to be something she wasn’t.   
  
“so, are you happy to have them back?” she asked after they exited the highway, driving inside the city while gazing around in search of food.   
  
“of course!” his voice was confident and warm, the smile on his face contagious “I think I missed Landon like I was missing a hand, or like a very important organ”   
  
“he seems pretty incredible” Josie admitted, running her fingers through her hair “do you think I still have a place with you guys? Now that you’re much more people in the group”   
  
“the thing about us, is that we fell naturally together at first. When I think about the way we used to be as kids, I know that you probably would’ve fit us better than Kaleb or Maya” he mumbled, he sounded almost apologetic.   
  
“but it’s been years since you and Landon met Hope. It’s like someone would try to understand my relationship with Penelope. Our connection is unexplainable”   
  
“but a group dynamic is different than just two people. Give it a chance. I think they’d love you too much, like we all do” he nudged her shoulder softly, making her smile. It felt good, natural. She knew she had to cherish those moments.   
  
“I don’t want to ruin the mood, but I have a question for you” Josie’s voice shook and her eyes glued themselves to the road.   
  
“you can ask me anything, Jo” Rafael smiled, trying to hide the fear behind something similar to happiness.   
  
“Do you think,” she started, darting her eyes between the two resturants in front of them, “that Rebekah let us free her niece? Because everything about it feels too easy now that I think about it”   
  
Rafael tapped the dashboard in front of him as he considered her theory. Now that she had nothing else to think about, nothing else to catch her attention, Josie couldn’t help but believe that something was off, that maybe they should be stressed.   
  
“It’s odd, she was too nice” Rafael nodded his head slowly, pointing at the taco bell to their left.   
  
“maybe they were tired of keeping them there, or maybe Klaus’ plan had come to an end” she offered, her head too busy with the new mystery to even notice the way Rafael was directing her towards the restaurant.   
  
“I think we should start questioning it once we are back home, in the safety, or in a semi safety of Mystic Falls” Rafael shrugged “I don’t think they even really realize they’re free. I want to enjoy this high before everything comes crashing down”   
  
Josie finally turned to look at him, his soft and tired expression breaking her heart “okay. But we have to get to the bottom of this when we get home”   
  
“yeah, I agree” he nodded quickly “now, do you think they serve vegan food at Taco Bell?”   
  
After settling down in the hotel room, Josie found herself escaping the thin hall of the motel in favor of some time alone. By time alone, she just wanted to hear Lizzie’s voice.   
  
“I was wondering when you’d call me again” Lizzie said once she answered the phone, her voice sleepy but teasing as always “hello sis”   
  
“hey Liz,” Josie grinned, she couldn’t help but feel better just knowing her sister was on the other side “I just wanted to tell you that we’re on our way back. I hope we’d arrive in a day or two”   
  
“wait, did you find them?”   
  
“We did, Lizzie, we rescued them and we can finally let this abduction go” Josie mumbled, the lie tasting awful on her tongue. The chance that she could ever go back to being the shy clueless girl she once were neared to zero. But right now she wished she could let this go.   
  
“I can’t believe you actually did that” Lizzie chuckled “I’m proud of you. How about Raf?”   
  
“it’s still this awkward thing that I don’t know how to treat without wanting to run away. I am going to break his heart, I just can’t do it on the road” Josie explained, taking a deep breath of the night’s air.   
  
“how’s the new girl?” she asked, the smirk sounding in her voice.   
  
“she’s-” Josie bowed her head down, a small smile taking over her face “she’s amazing”   
  
Josie finished the call with Lizzie before grabbing the food from her room and walking towards the group’s room down the hall. She had to enjoy the time she had with them now, she didn’t know what tomorrow would bring.   
  
“em, what did I just walk into?”   
  
Josie pushed her head through a crack in the door, watching with a small grin as Hope neared Landon with a pair of scissors while Landon seemed to be scared out of his mind. Hope turned in her spot to look at Josie challengely.   
  
“you only met us today, but can you please tell Lan it’s okay for me to cut his hair?” Hope requested, a ting of annoyance sounded in her calm voice “like, dude, you know me for more than 10 years, why are you so scared of me?”   
  
“I wouldn’t let you cut my dog’s fur,” Landon waved his hands in front of him.   
  
“you don’t even have a dog!” MG chuckled from his place on the bed, waving over for Josie to join him. She passed the room quietly, sitting right beside him after placing the food on the nearest table.   
  
“that’s beside the point” Landon turned to look at Josie in her new position, his eyes very similar to ones of a hungry puppy “maybe Josie should do it. Cut my hair, I mean”   
  
“I’m not sure I’m a much better option, my twin is usually the one to do these kinds of things” Josie shrugged as she made herself comfortable on the bed. MG seemed pleased.   
  
“wait. No offense to you, pretty girl,” Hope turned around to flash the flirtiest smirk in Josie’s direction before turning back to look at her best friend once again “but I’m literally the most qualified with scissors in this room, including Rafael”   
  
“you have a lot of pent up anger, don’t you think?”   
  
MG couldn’t contain his laughter, leaning down on the bed to try and stifle the sound. Hope, on the other hand, looked like she was trying very hard not to scream. She made her way to the bed, laying on the bed way too close to Josie, her head pressed against the pillow just under Josie’s forearm.   
  
“Can you please take care of this kid for me? because I’m very close to killing him” Hope pouted up at Josie, the room quiet as the boys waited for Josie’s answer.   
  
Josie seemed conflicted, but looking down at Hope’s face didn’t make her feel like she could escape her fate, so soon she found herself standing behind Landon, ready to cut.   
  
When Rafael arrived, the room turned into a warzone with hair and food wraps all over the floor. Josie, surprisingly, was a very talented hairdresser. After Landon was satisfied with his own hair, he pushed Hope and MG to cut their long hair as well.   
  
“uh, should I come back later?” Rafael asked, already showered and dressed for bed.   
  
Landon was the only one to notice Rafael’s arrival, as Josie and Hope were too busy giggling about Hope’s soon to be mohak and MG trying not to laugh too loudly and break their bubble “no dude, come in. We just used Josie to cut our hair”   
  
“you suddenly look like a guy I used to know,” Rafael grinned at Landon, watching as his hair fell shorter on his shoulders “I brought some snacks me and Jo had left from our way here, if you needed some dessert”   
  
Watching his friend, Rafael felt content for the first time since they disappeared. He made his way to sit beside Hope in one of the chairs, bursting the bubble and catching both of the girls’ attention.   
  
“how was the food?” he asked. He sounded more confident as if he tried to motivate himself while showering. Josie couldn’t help but smile.   
  
“oh my god, dude. Food with flavor!” MG patted his stomach happily, his eyes closed.   
  
“Food that is not white rice with chicken” Hope agreed with a nod, her eyes fell to the half eaten vegan taco on the table beside her “the vegan wasn’t the best, huh Josie?”   
  
She only shrugged in return, running her fingers through the long aburborn hair “so, what is it going to be, gone girl?”   
  
Hope huffed, the nickname making her smile “just under my shoulder I think”   
  
When Josie and Rafael left the room, their spirits were high as it could be. It felt as if they were living a dream and by the next morning the 3 teenagers would be back to being missing.   
  
“can’t believe we’re going home” Rafael said as they entered the room, the darkness of random hotel room were already familiar with them by now “maybe we can be teenagers again”   
  
“Yeah, maybe we can talk about school and try out for sports and clubs” Josie rolled her eyes, groaning as she landed on the uncomfortable bed.   
  
“okay, maybe we can’t be teenagers anymore”   
  
Josie entered the front seat of the car with ease the next morning. It was harsh, forcing everyone out of bed, but knowing that they weren’t even half way back to Mystic Falls pushed both Rafael and Josie to wake up earlier than expected.   
  
After checking out of the hotel, Landon along with MG and Josie watched from inside the car as the remaining two argued beside the car.   
  
“I think we should do lip syncing to them” MG turned his head to the side, catching glances at his friends “it can be funny”   
  
“were they always like this?” Josie ignored his words “they are too close, both physically and mentally, for it to be a comfortable argument”   
  
“before they started dating, Hope would literally control Rafael with mere looks. But now-” Landon moved his eyes between Josie and Rafael when MG started to chuckle.   
  
“now you control him with mere looks, lucky you” he admitted with a teasing grin “and Hope is not far behind on your charm, you know”   
  
Josie shook her head softly, a blush covering her cheeks. As she peeked outside at the two, she knew that MG was speaking something very close to the truth. Hope was already watching her while Rafael groaned behind her. Hope entered the car with a small smirk.   
  
“so?” MG questioned, moving to the middle seat to let Rafael join them in the back.   
  
“I reminded Raf that I was kidnapped for 6 months. So I get what I want” Hope stated simply, reaching for the radio. All eyes were still watching Hope, who soon mumbled “come on, drive away, pretty girl. I want to go home”   
  
**waypoint: LaGrange, Georgia. 8 hours to Mystic Falls, Virginia.**   
  
Josie loved Hope’s decision to sit beside her. The drive was filled with small stories about growing up in Mystic Falls along with the boys. Stories about how simple friendship became something much stronger.   
  
Her eyes shined as she spoke about summer vacations through the years and winters with pouring rain. How her mother was going to react when she arrived. Josie could let the girl speak through the whole day, but she found out that 3 hungry guys were much more annoying than she thought would be.   
  
“Come on, Jo, I’m dying here” MG whined as Josie mumbled something about driving all night to reach home tomorrow morning.   
  
“look, you can choose, we don’t mind” Landon promised, his eyes half shut. He wanted his friends to stop complaining more than he felt his own hunger.   
  
“no. She’s going to drag us to some random vegan restaurant and it’s going to be -” Rafael began dramatically, shaking his head in disgust “horrible. More than that. One time I ate her veggie burger and I don’t ever want to do it again”   
  
“what do you say?” Josie flicked her eyes in Hope’s direction before looking at the road again “we can stop to eat or turn on the music so loud that we won’t hear them cry”   
  
“I could eat” Hope grinned, leaning her head against the seat comfortably “what about a pizza?”   
  
“you’re the boss” Josie nodded shortly, letting Hope direct her towards the nearest pizza place inside a small city.   
  
While Rafael and MG rushed inside, Landon lingered along with the girls. He felt as if something was going to happen very soon, something that won’t make their return home the easiest. Hope looked at Josie with curiosity and wonder.   
  
“So Jo, what are you going to do now, after you found us?” he asked, walking at her side.   
  
“I’m going to study again. I’m sure my father won’t be very glad to know the way I abandoned school when I was deep in the research” she admitted “he’s the principal”   
  
“what about Ms Forbes?” Hope asked, the news about the old headmaster departure sadder than she anticipated.   
  
“she’ll be back next year, I think. She asked dad to come in her place while she tried to fix things? I don’t really know. I think this was about you guys” Josie shrugged her shoulders softly, leaning into Landon’s side naturally.   
  
“To be honest, something doesn’t sit right with me after everything that happened,” Landon answered, now his own head too busy to notice their stop beside the restaurant's front door “they’re just, not such bad people to protect something that is just this horrible”   
  
“Welcome to the Mikaelson family, we do good but then we do twice as bad” Hope mumbled, sounding uncharacteristically annoyed about the topic of the conversation.   
  
“but then came their Hope that saves the day with a smile and a sarcastic joke” Landon elbowed her in the ribs, making her stop mumbling curse words to give him an appreciative smile.   
  
**waypoint: Spartanburg, South Carolina. 5 hours to Mystic Falls, Virginia.** **  
**  
Landon knew from the moment he first saw them intercat, that Rafael had feelings for Josie. He didn’t have to know the new girl at all, he just had to see the look in his best friend’s eyes when she sat down safely, the way he cared about her wellbeing the way he did his longtime best friends.   
  
Rafael was as cocky as always, all smiley with brave words. But Landon knew better than to overlook the new addition to their group. The way Josie seemed so effortlessly cool most of the time but shied away when Rafael stepped too closely to her side. He couldn’t decide if it was because of her feelings or rather the lack of them.   
  
If Landon had to take a guess without speaking to either of them, he knew that something had happened between the two and now they didn’t know how to move forward.   
  
Josie was all heart, just like Landon, and maybe that was the reason Rafael liked her so much. But something in his gut told him that the looks Josie was sending in Hope’s direction weren’t ones of pure curiosity. More likely to do with awe.   
  
“I think that we should share a room today” Landon neared Rafael by the front desk, leaving behind the rest of their friends to joke around. MG’s laugh was nearing the way he sounded before the abduction, Landon couldn’t stop him from having a little bit of fun “what do you say?”   
  
Rafael raised his gaze from the paperwork to meet Landon’s eyes “why?”   
  
“I want to catch up!” he smiled innocently, bumping their shoulders together “beside, I think it would be good for Hopey to have some girl friends in her life, don’t you think?”   
  
Rafael considered his words, the paper long forgotten. He took a few seconds before he nodded his head shortly. Almost disappointed with the outcome.   
  
“great. I would let the gang know while you finish signing us up” Landon backed away quickly before Rafael could change his mind.   
  
“Why do you look like a troublemaker?” Hope raised an eyebrow as he moved closer, taking a seat right beside her.   
  
“I am known as this group’s troublemaker” he grinned cheekily “we are switching it up tonight. It’s the boys against the girls, and yes, Hope, it’s decided”   
  
Landon met Josie’s gaze while Hope started to fuss quietly. He gave her a small knowing smile, making her drop her gaze to the floor with her cheeks painted red. How can someone you’d known for a day know you better than someone who’d you consider your best friend for 6 months? Josie could only blame Landon for being that good.   
  
“Hope, relax. You’re more than capable of sleeping through a night without me. You’re great as you are and if there’s a problem I am just a room away” Landon murmured under his breath, making sure that only she could hear him.   
  
Hope turned her head slightly, a mix of emotions showing on her face “if I wake up screaming and she’d be too scared to handle me, then I’m blaming you for possibly ruining my friendship with her” she whispered right back, raising to her feet the moment Rafael arrived with the key to their room.  
  
Josie laid in the uncomfortable bed, her body tired while her mind wide awake. The days seemed much longer when you had to share your time with 4 other people, 3 of them new and very much exciting and the last one familiar but felt sometimes more of a stranger.  
  
Hope fell asleep as soon as she came out of the shower. Wearing one of Rafael’s shirts along with one of Josie’s pants. She crawled into bed with a soft smile in Josie’s direction before she fell asleep on top of her blanket. She was so tired, that when Josie layed her own blanket around her she didn’t even stirr.   
  
Josie watched the ceiling fan as it stood still, her mind too busy with the girl at her side to even try and catch some sleep. Josie was fascinated by Hope. She was everything Josie believed she would be. She was smart and cool while also being the most beautiful girl she had ever seen. But Hope was something more. She was soft, and sweet and teasing. She was funny and warm. She looked at Josie with interest and something more, something that made Josie’s inside turn every time.   
  
Josie let out a loud sigh, she could’ve handled the situation so much better if she could just control her feelings. As she was about to turn around in her bed, a low scream broke through the silent. Hope raised up from her spot, cold sweat shining on her face. Josie jumped up, holding her hands to her chest as she watched Hope from her side of the room.   
  
“I’m sorry,” Hope mumbled under her breath, pulling the covers closer to her chest as she raised her eyes to meet Josie’s in the darkness “I’m so sorry”   
  
Something settled in Josie’s mind, the reason why Hope was against sharing a room with her shined clear in the scene in front of her now. Hope clutched her shirt tighter in her palm, holding back tears from falling down her cheeks.   
  
“you have nightmares,” Josie whispered, almost hitting herself in the forehead for how pleased she sounded “Hope you have nothing to feel sorry for, I’m sorry I didn’t think about it before”   
  
Hope raised her head to meet Josie’s gaze again, feeling seen for the first time since she escaped the shed, her breath getting caught in her throat. Her wide blue eyes were filled with unshed tears as she released a soft sigh.   
  
“may I?” Josie pointed at the small bed awkwardly, only shaking away the pout on her face when Hope gave her some space beside her. They were pressed together, Hope’s head finding its way to rest in Josie’s lap “this is why you wanted to sleep with Landon?”   
  
Hope only nodded, looping her arms around Josie’s legs. She stared down at the edge of the bed while refusing to look at the other girl.   
  
Josie reached slowly, running her fingers through the girl’s soft hair, humming along with her movements “I know we only just met, but I have your back Hope, even for moments like those”   
  
“I just wanted to let Landon have one quiet night,” she whispered under her breath, making goosebumps raise on Josie’s skin “he’s been my rock since the day everything started, he deserves his freedom back”   
  
“I don’t know Landon either, but I know that he’s there for you because he wants to be” Josie smiled, she learned very quickly that Landon would do everything for his friends “can you tell me what you were dreaming about?”   
  
Hope shrugged, the tears finally falling down her cheeks “it’s always the same thing. I watch as my father pushes my mom and Rafael from a cliff, and he always encourages me to come and try to locate them, but I never seem to find them”   
  
Josie’s breath got caught in her throat and her hand stopped moving through Hope’s hair, causing her to raise her eyes to meet Josie’s. It was the worst thing she could see, Josie would always remember the way Hope’s blue eyes seemed dead, broken.   
  
“after my mom passed away, I had nightmares. While my sister was sleeping through everything that happened, I couldn’t sleep for more than 5 minutes” Josie chuckled, her eyes were settled on Hope’s face and she got back to running her fingers through her hair.   
  
“what did you do?” Hope asked, her voice soft but her breathing finally even.   
  
“at first I let myself fall asleep of exhaustion, definitely wasn’t the best decision I made, but hey, I was 5” Josie rolled her eyes, she was always too stubborn “but then I invented the best solution ever, twin cuddles”   
  
“twin cuddles?” Hope raised an eyebrow, ducking her head farther down Josie’s leg so she could give her a confused look.   
  
“just as it sounds of course,” Josie shrugged softly, a grin covering her lips “I just forced Lizzie to share a bed with me, and most of the time that year I slept with my head on her shoulder”   
  
“so your magic solution is cuddling?” Hope smiled warmly, something about Josie just made her feel better, she could very easily see why Rafael was so captivated with her.   
  
“the world’s magic comes from cuddling, I can tell you that” she smirked, but then a hesitant stutter filled her guts, why would Hope ever cuddle with her? She had 3 amazing guys that would do everything for her, who she knew her entire life.   
  
“would you do that for me?” Hope bit down on her lip, trying to ignore the way Josie’s face went pale as she spoke “you don’t have to, of course. You brought it up so I thought…”   
  
Josie couldn’t help but smile softly at Hope’s rambling, nodding her head slowly “I really want to help”   
  
Josie wanted to smack herself on the forehead. She would do everything for Hope, but it didn’t mean it wasn’t weird to tell her that in the first few days they knew each other. A soft tug on her wrist, Hope caught her attention once again.   
  
“Come on, pretty girl, let’s see if your theory works” she whispered, already yawning into the blanket.   
  
Josie laid right behind Hope, wrapping an arm around her waist and the other rested under her head as Hope shuffled closer. Josie’s breath got caught in her throat once again, being this close to Hope was both alarming and relaxing “is this ok?”   
  
“it’s great” Hope whispered, resting her hand right above Josie’s before she was fast asleep.   
  
Josie had a few more minutes as her nerves kept her awake, but holding Hope in her arms forced her to give up the endless battle that ran in her mind about how wrong this was, and she finally let herself fall into a deep sleep.   
  
**waypoint: Greensboro, North Carolina. 2 hours to Mystic Falls, Virginia.**   
  
Hope pushed Rafael by his shoulder to squeeze between him and Josie on the bench, while Landon and MG sat on the other side, sharing inside jokes that made Hope chuckle slightly.  
  
“so, Josie,” Hope’s voice was softer for the other girl, whether she knew it or not “how did you end up with Raf in the first place?”   
  
Josie couldn’t dare look at Rafael’s face, feeling his heavy sad eyes lay on her as she met Hope’s bright blue ones. Something so warm filled her stomach and she found herself smiling despite herself.   
  
“I just saw your face on the poster and I found myself needing to meet you,” Josie found it easy as breathing to speak the truth to Hope “it turned out to be harder than I expected at first”   
  
Snorting, Hope leaned a little closer, missing Rafael’s warning gaze “well you did work quite hard to see this face in person, although I did look better before everything happened”   
  
Josie rolled her eyes, clearly disagreeing with the statement “well, I just picked Raf up on the way to New Orleans”   
  
“always the muscles” Hope pinched Rafael’s cheek before turning around to reach for one of the sandwiches with a spark of sarcasm in her eyes.   
  
Josie wanted to disagree with Hope’s subtle teasing about Rafael’s part in the search, but she started everything and he only gave her the power to continue. She could never blame him for almost messing everything with his feelings, she hoped he wouldn’t blame her when she would possibly risk their friendship with her own.   
  
“he did keep your notebook safe until it was time for me to actually find you” Josie shrugged softly, making Hope smile awkwardly.   
  
“did you read everything?” her eyes seemed darker, Josie recalled the moments she spent reading through the journal and liking this group, and more importantly at the time, Rafael, through Hope’s way with words. But also the hard moments, the ones that felt too personal, the ones that made her regret opening the notebook in the first place.   
  
“I read most of it by myself, if it makes you feel better” Josie smiled reassuringly and Hope let out a heavy sigh.   
  
“It does help,” she bowed her head, trying to hide her red cheeks. “It's not like it’s the most personal thing I've ever written, but it’s already too late to go back. I’m glad that at least it helped you found us”   
  
Josie couldn’t tell Hope, at least not now, that the main thing that the notebook did was make Josie develop feelings for her. So she only gave her a soft smile, shrugging her shoulders “it did”   
  
“are you ready to get home?” Rafael asked, his eyes no longer seeming so sad, but more hopeful   
  
**waypoint: Mystic Falls, Virginia.**   
  
Rafael slowed down in front of Hope’s house, it felt bigger than the last time Josie was there. Only a week passed but so much has changed.   
  
They dropped MG back at his house, the way his face lit up with excitement was a new look that Josie couldn’t help but hope to see more of. He kissed Josie on the cheek after hugging his friends goodbye, whispering thank yous under his breath before running towards the door.   
  
“can’t believe that we’re actually here” Hope mumbled, watching the house with a smile “how is she doing?”   
  
“she’s hopeful” Rafael promised, his voice on edge. He hasn't seen Hayley since the month of the disappearance. It was good for his confidence, Hayley never deemed him worthy enough for her daughter. He could only guess what Klaus would think of him.   
  
“Come on, let’s go inside,” Landon opened his door, escaping the car and standing in the cool afternoon air in one of Rafael’s warm sweatshirts.   
  
“do you want to come inside with me?” Hope turned her head from the house to meet Josie’s eyes, a pleading look covering her face “I really want you there when I see my mom again”   
  
Rafael couldn’t help but scoff. He used to be her person, now he wasn’t even her second choice. That hurt more than he believed it would “am I allowed to come too? Or am I just your chauffeur?”   
  
“I thought I didn’t need to ask” Hope tilted her head to the side, looking softer to Josie but teasing to Rafael.   
  
He dropped his gaze to his lap before escaping the car, finding it impossible to argue with Hope moments before she sees her mom again. He wanted her to have the best reunion possible.   
  
“are you going to speak with him?” Hope turned back to look at Josie at her side “he won’t even look at me for more than a glance. He likes you” she wiggled her eyebrows as Josie blushed.   
  
“stop doing that” Josie waved her hand in front of Hope’s face, earning a fond smile “you should try first. You’ve known him for longer than I do, plus he’s your ex”   
  
“well, he’s clearly into you now,” Hope mumbled, running her fingers down her hair as she watched Rafael waiting outside awkwardly “are you ready to meet my mom?”   
  
“I have a secret that is going to create some problems with Rafael” Josie admitted, leaning her head against her palms “I went to see your mother before we left Mystic Falls. It was mostly out of selfishness but you know, I felt like I owed her”   
  
Hope sighed, rubbing Josie’s shoulder softly “it’s ok, we’d deal with him later. But he’s going to be angry. They were never on the best terms, my mother is just too overprotective”   
  
“I think he’s going to revisit the anger issues from before. Kaleb told me all about it when I just joined the school” she nodded, reaching for her seatbelt to free herself before reaching for the handle.   
  
“let’s go, Jo, my mom’s waiting. We can deal with him later”   
  
The two girls joined the boys outside, Hope reaching for Landon’s palm before knocking on the door. Josie was there a week before but the atmosphere now felt different, she could sleep better knowing that her mission was completed.   
  
When Hayley opened the door, it seemed like everyone stopped breathing for a minute. They all watched as Hayley’s breath caught in her own throat as her eyes finally landed on her teenage daughter, wearing some of Rafael’s clothes that made her seem so much smaller.   
  
“Hope,” said like a prayer, Hayley placed her hand on the girl’s cheek.   
  
“hey mom,” Hope whispered back, letting herself finally fall into the woman’s hold, wrapping shaky arms around her neck as she softly cried.   
  
The three beside the door shuffled awkwardly, feeling like they were intruding the special moment between the two. But it ended as soon as it started, Hayley ran a careful hand through her daughter’s hair before pulling her into the house.   
  
Hayley met Josie’s eyes with a soft smile before nodding her head inside “come on, I’ll make you a victory meal as a thank you”   
  
“oh god, mama Marshall, I’m starving for homemade food” Landon pushed inside, giving the woman a cheeky smile.   
  
Hayley pulled on his arm until he returned to stand beside her “your hair looks great even after an abduction, how can it be?”   
  
“Josie cut my hair” he shrugged “she cut Hope’s too and MG’s”   
  
“it’s good to see you again, Josie” Hayley grinned, her eyes so warm and loving, as if the girl in her arms gave her a power she lost for a long time “thank you for getting her back to me, you too Rafael”   
  
“I promised to get her back” Josie whispered, missing the way Rafael gaped at her he understood the meaning behind her words.   
  
“and I believed you when you said you would, thank you anyways” Hayley turned on her heels, leading Hope into the kitchen and leaving the group behind.   
  
Rafael turned around to give Josie an angry nod, his jaw set, before walking outside. Josie only sighed before following him, Landon beside her.   
  
“I didn’t mean to go behind your back but I felt like I had to see her before we left. I gave her Hope’s notebook too. She deserved to know” Josie called after him, making Rafael glance over his shoulder to fume in her direction.   
  
“you had to be the hero! I told you she was better off not knowing, why couldn’t you listen to me?” he spat, reaching the car easily.   
  
“dude, relax” Landon pulled on his best friend’s arm only to be pushed away harshly, causing a chain reaction with Josie ending up on the floor. Landon rushed to help her up, looking guilty.   
  
“I don’t have to do everything you say, Rafael” Josie could barely contain her own anger “I understand that you wanted to avoid Hayley at all cost, but I went alone and talked to her, it’s happened already and you can’t change that”   
  
“Landon get in the car” Rafael refused to acknowledge her words, entering the car and waiting until Landon would join him with the music blast up to avoid hearing the conversation outside.   
  
“I’m sorry, Jo, I will talk him down. Thank you for everything you’ve done for me. I will see you very soon” Landon wrapped Josie in his arms “tell Hayley that I will be back for dinner”   
  
Josie watched as he entered the car and Rafael drove away. She stood outside for a minute longer before Hope arrived at her side, her cheeks wet by her tears “what did I miss?”   
  
“Rafael revisited his anger issues and took Landon with him”   
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry it took so long, I have some personal issues I'm dealing with. Hope you like it and thank you so much for even reading!


	6. homecoming

When Josie was little, she was always scared to say the wrong thing when Lizzie was angry, when people in general were angry. She knew that words could make and could easily break, so she usually just stayed quiet. But since moving to Mystic Falls and trying to find her footing in town, in life in general, she learned that sometimes she had to stand her ground.  
  
“I think I should go home” Josie turned her head to glance in Hope’s direction, the two settled into a comfortable silence “Rafael drove away with my bag but I could get it tomorrow morning. Are you going to be okay?”   
  
Josie grabbed Hope’s arm and Hope gave her a sheepish smile “yeah, I think my mom deserves an explanation for all of this. Can I see you tomorrow?”   
  
“I would like that very much. I can come by after breakfast” she tilted her head to the side, concern taking over her features “if you have any trouble sleeping, I live just down this street. I can give you the address if you want”   
  
“no, I should try and sleep by myself. But thank you for offering, I bet my mom would be very okay with me crushing over in her bed for the first time since I was 5” Hope shrugged.   
  
Josie pulled Hope into her arms, refusing the little whisper in her head telling her that she was moving too fast. She held Hope for a few seconds before stepping away “it was so nice to meet you, Hope Mikaelson”   
  
“I’m not going anywhere” she waved her fingers as she walked towards her house slowly “but it was a pleasure to meet you too, pretty girl”   
  
Josie turned on her heels once Hope was safe inside the house, her palms a little sweety despite the cold weather, she began her short walk back home.   
  
So much has changed in the week that passed, but actually, nothing even changed yet, nothing was permanent. The missing kids would soon be just another teenagers in town and everything would go back to normal. But it wasn’t Josie’s normal, it was Mystic Falls’. So Josie could only expect that something was about to happen, and she was ready for it.   
  
She was ready to sit with MG and Landon at lunch, to have Hope around while she was working at the milks-place, to see this group she only knew as uncompleted be complete.   
  
Still with the same soft smile on her face, Josie pushed open the front door to the house, the air smelling of a Friday night dinner that was cooking in the oven. Josie made her way inside the house, leaving her shoes by the door.   
  
“Liz are you coming to help me with dinner?” her father called, unaware of the presence of his older daughter.   
  
“I can help if you want” she offered, placing her phone on the island and sliding to stand beside him “I missed your food”   
  
Alaric turned in his spot, soon reaching to pull her into a hug “welcome home honey! How was the trip? How's home? How’s Penelope doing? Still getting in trouble everyday?”   
  
“yeah, you know how she is” Josie chuckled awkwardly into his shoulder before stepping away “the drive was long and exhausting. I’m going to shower and then come to help you, okay?”   
  
“that’s great, tell your sister you’re here” Alaric left a peck at the side of his daughter’s head before turning back to the stove.   
  
Josie watched him for a few more seconds before rushing towards Lizzie’s room, climbing the stairs two at a time to get there as fast as possible. Yeah, Lizzie and Josie had their fair share of twins’ troubles over the years, but at the end of the day, they never knew any time apart and that usually fixed all their problems.   
  
“Elizabeth!” Josie knocked on the door before entering quickly, earning a playful glare out of the blonde girl “aren’t you happy to see me?”   
  
“Happy is too small of a word” Lizzie rolled her eyes, she sounded nonchalant as ever, moving around the room to stand in front of her twin “ecstatic, delighted, and joyous. That’s more like it”   
  
“shut up” Josie whispered before pulling Lizzie into a much needed hug. It was as if the weight of a week fell off Josie’s shoulder, she knew that she no longer had to carry it by herself “so, tell me what’s been going on?”   
  
“are you fucking kidding me, Josette ‘I’ve just returned home from rescuing my future wife’ Saltzman? You can hear about Jed flirting with me tomorrow, right now you need to spill”   
  
“kinda promised dad to come help him in the kitchen after I shower” Josie stepped back, shaking her head with red cheeks “we can talk about Hope later”   
  
“okay, you can run off to shower but remember this. I know where you live, and I will hunt you until I hear everything” Lizzie layed back on her bed, her eyes once again glued to her phone.   
  
“Sometimes I wonder if you pay the movies for using all their cliche lines” she mumbled, the soft smile playing on her lips were one of ease, something that she missed dearly while she was away.   
  
Josie was in the kitchen helping Alaric when Lizzie arrived at her side, the curious look back on her features. But she only shrugged her shoulders when Josie refused once again to share any details about the trip before sitting beside the table.   
  
It was Alaric to break the silence once they started eating. If his daughter was curious, it was only because she inherited it from him. He watched Josie as she fiddled around with the remaining of her food in her second plate, trying to read her expression.   
  
“Josie?” he called her for the second time, trying to catch her attention. When she lifted her head, she gave him a soft smile.   
  
“sorry, it’s just-” she shook her head before meeting his gaze “it’s been a week since I could just sit in silence without anyone asking for my attention”   
  
“Rafael’s that needy? Or are you talking about Penelope?” Alaric chuckled, earning a confused look from Lizzie.   
  
“did Penelope go along with you?” Lizzie was quick to ask, her eyes going wide the second she understood the origin of the question. She turned her head to meet Josie’s gaze apologetically.   
  
“she went to see Penelope back at home. Honestly I was surprised you didn’t ask to go along” Alaric missed the panic behind his daughters’ eyes “but you were fighting and I didn’t want to push”   
  
“yeah about that” Josie straightened her back, trying to look bigger “I never actually went back home, I was actually on a trip with Rafael to free his friends”  
  
Alaric dropped his fork, making a loud noise as it hit his plate from midair. Both girls were startled by the sound, but Josie knew that she was in much more trouble when she laid her eyes on his face. It was as if he was trying to hide something but was too shocked to do a good job “explain once again”   
  
“I don’t understand why you look like I kicked a puppy” Josie whispered, her fingers fiddling mindlessly with the end of her hoodie “I found the missing teens and brought them home with Rafael. I couldn’t tell you the truth, I knew you wouldn’t let me go”   
  
Lizzie dropped her gaze. She knew Josie’s plan was dangerous, hell, she knew that she might get hurt. But something about her confidence before leaving made Lizzie trust that Josie knew what she was doing. Looking at her dad’s face made her wonder if she made the right decision, if she maybe had to ask more questions.   
  
“You drove all the way to New Orleans to save a group of kids by yourselves? Have you lost your mind?” Alaric stood abruptly from his chair, pacing back and forth beside the table.   
  
“you taught me to always do what I believe in, I did just that and better. I brought Hayley’s daughter back. You will get to meet her, don’t you think it’ll be worth it?” Josie stood her ground, watching as Alaric squirmed under her gaze “besides, I was completely safe. I even met Elijah”   
  
“risking your life is never worth it, Josette” he pushed himself up from his place, making Lizzie stand as well. Alaric ignored the mention of his old best friend “you’re acting like a child”   
  
“I feel like I don’t belong in the reprimands part of this conversation, tell me what the verdict is, ok?” she nodded in her father’s direction but held Josie’s gaze until the latter sighed slowly.   
  
They watched in silence as Lizzie climbed the stairs and disappeared behind a slam of a door. Alaric shook his head disapprovingly “I can’t-”   
  
“no, no. No more scolding and this annoyed confusing look on your face” Josie waved around standing as well and moving around the room, surprising the both of them with her words “I know that you are mostly sad I didn’t tell you the truth”   
  
“of course I’m sad you didn’t tell me the truth,” he whispered, sounding disappointed more than anything else “go upstairs, let me think this through”   
  
Josie opened and closed her mouth a few times, trying to catch on as his mood changed too quickly for her to keep track of “I won’t say I’m sorry for doing it. But I am sorry that I didn’t feel capable of telling you before”   
  
Josie watched as his heart broke and he turned his back to her, marching back to his office down the hall.   
  
Now, Josie could have been his good, obedient daughter and tell him she was sorry she lied, walk up to her room and face the small punishment he thinks she deserves. But something in her gut told her that there was something bigger here, she found herself following his footsteps quietly.   
  
In a private room, not a minute after he sent his daughter to her room, Alaric was already on the phone. He whispered something so softly that Josie couldn’t hear him, but she did catch from the side of her eye as he tapped his fingers on his table almost nervously.   
  
“Caroline, head back down here right now, with him or without him. I don’t really mind” he whispered-yelled at the phone “what if my daughter would’ve been caught by him? have you ever thought about that?”   
  
He hummed, sitting down in his chair while wiping at his forehead, his eyes following something on his computer screen.   
  
“ok, I get it. Just-” he sounded miserable, somewhat more at fault in the situation than anyone else “just leave him be and come back”   
  
Josie was never grounded before. She was always the good daughter, the rules follower. So when Lizzie escaped the house with an apologetic smile the next morning, Josie wondered if she’d ever go back to being that girl, or maybe she didn’t want to, couldn’t go back.   
  
When her father came up to her room the night before, after he spoke with Caroline, Josie knew that she wasn’t getting out of this one easily. He only squeezed her shoulder with the promise that grounding her was the last thing he wanted to do.   
  
So Josie planned to pretend to take it easy and spend her time studying. It wasn’t as if she fought with her best friend. Or the girl she was crushing on just got back from the dead. No, it wasn’t as if her life was about to drastically change. She could almost feel an earthquake start below her feet.   
  
But her plans weren’t going so well. She was only on her second page of her english essay when Alaric called her.   
  
“I thought I said you were grounded” he gave her a side glance before reopening the door, his expression shifting into a polite smile “what’s even your name?”   
  
Josie reached the bottom of the stairs to greet the mystery person, only for her smile to widen when she spotted Hope. She was wearing an oversized sweatshirt under a large coat, her long hair soaked by the Mystic Falls rain “my name is Hope. I’m sorry to just show up, I still don’t have a phone”   
  
Alaric’s jaw dropped and he opened the door slightly wider, inviting the girl in silently. Something about his expression changed, as if he finally placed where she was so familiar to him. He turned his head to give his daughter a soft nod before disappearing down the hall and back to his room, leaving the girls to themselves.   
  
“is it okay that I’m here?” Hope asked, her voice lower and her smile brighter “he seems… Upset? Or confused?”   
  
“A great mix of both, maybe. He grounded me yesterday after I got home,” Josie explained shortly, closing the door behind Hope and grabbing her hand. She pulled her up the stairs and into her room “let me just get you some new sweatshirt instead of this wet one. Didn’t you know it was going to rain today?”   
  
“Raf gave me the address and I thought I could walk quickly before I drowned, guess I underestimated the rain” Hope shook her head with a smile “I missed walking around, so I don’t really mind”   
  
“yeah, I missed the weather too. I actually wasn’t too fond of the rain before we moved” Josie shrugged her shoulders before walking over to the closet, “do you mind taking off your shoes? I just-”   
  
“sure” Hope chuckled, placing her boots neatly beside Josie’s own shoes. Later on, Hope would always complain that Josie’s room was just too organized, but for the first time it let Hope understand Josie’s character so much better.   
  
Before she could even say another word, Josie showed up with an oversized blue sweatshirt. She left it on the bed before taking her seat beside the desk “how was your night?”   
  
“oh I’ve had better, how was yours?” Hope asked with a small tired grin, only then could Josie spot the dark circles that the rain helped hide. She messed around with her shirt, leaving it beside the door, wetting the floor.   
  
“I slept like I was dead'' Josie admitted. She only needed to place her head on the pillow to dive into sleepland. Dreaming of beautiful blue eyes and a sad smile “why did you come over?”   
  
“You're the only one who’s looking at me like-” Hope began, her voice getting caught in her throat and she only managed to pull the new shirt over her head, trying to calm her breathing.   
  
“like you’re still you?” Josie finished, waiting patiently until Hope nodded her head softly “it’s ok. If my dad let you enter the house while I’m grounded I bet he’ll be ok if you stayed for a while”   
  
Hope nodded again, climbing to the bed and pulling the warm covers over her shaking legs. She wasn’t sure if it was due to the cold or the simple fact that Josie had this effect on her.   
  
“do you want to talk?” Josie offered, her homework long forgotten “or we could watch a movie?”   
  
Hope fiddled with her fingers before shrugging her shoulders “what have you been doing? Maybe you can help me focus on something other than, well, my troubles?”   
  
“the english essay due monday morning” Josie grabbed her notebook and sat beside Hope, letting her lean over to watch the half written, first paragraph “I barely even got to think about my subject for more than 5 minutes until this morning”   
  
“I’m a bit distracting, sorry” Hope shrugged her shoulders, as if it was the easiest thing in the world to admit. Josie, on her part, only shook her head fondly “what? you know I am”   
  
“that’s why I haven’t said anything” she could only push Hope by her shoulder, pressing closer to the other girl in the tight space of the bed “so I wanted to work on it but I can’t with you here”   
  
“I don’t miss my homework. I never liked taking part of this side of school” she mumbled, running her fingers across the sleeve of her borrowed sweatshirt.   
  
“Rafael told me you weren’t into participating in any part of school” Josie chuckled, watching as Hope made herself comfortable. The way her feet found their perfect place under Josie’s thigh and the way she cuddled closer to her side.   
  
“my mom always told me that she only wanted me to be happy. After everything went down with dad, I really just wanted to paint. But we agreed that she would let me have my freedom if it means I finish high school”   
  
“that is very, your mom in my head” Josie shrugged, a smile taking over her features.   
  
“She was just so young when I was born, I think she wanted to give me all the things she never got to have. Freedom, for exmple” Hope mirrored Josie’s smile easily before leaning into her side completely “so tell me, troublemaker, why are you grounded?”  
  
“oh, that’s a very good question for a first time grounded” Josie dropped the notebook to the floor almost casually, too busy trying to make Hope smile to even think about homework “I told my dad the truth about the road trip with Raf”   
  
“oh” Hope mumbled into Josie’s shoulder. She didn’t sound surprise, she sounded slightly disappointed “I actually thought pure hearted Jo have caused some actual trouble”   
  
“you should’ve seen my dad, actually you did see him. The same expression he had when you told him your name, it’s the way he has been walking around the house, sulking like a teenager”   
  
“he looked like he knew me, at least it seemed as if he recognized me” Hope’s gaze fell on the big window right across from the bed. The world outside was wild, rain hitting the road harshly. It calmed her nerves almost as easily as the girl to her side.   
  
“he used to be your uncle’s best friend, apparently. It’s actually not really interesting but he does know your parents”   
  
It was as if pieces of the puzzle were trying to find their right position in her mind. But she couldn’t busy herself with those questions, but she enjoyed the easy conversation too much, and decided to look back to it later.   
  
“why would you lie to him?”   
  
If Josie was slightly closer to the end of the bed, she would’ve made the decision to fall dramatically to the floor. But she stuck to giving Hope a roll of her eyes “how would your mom react if she knew you have been looking for your father all this time ago?”   
  
“she would have locked me inside and never let me out” Hope responded without thinking “but it was reasonable for me to want to find my father. You, on the other hand-”   
  
“just really want to be the hero, for once” Josie cut her off, their eyes meeting “it seems that I can be selfish too, big surprise”   
  
“what?” Hope grabbed onto Josie’s arms, turning her around so they faced each other properly “how can saving someone be selfish?”   
  
Josie shook her head, escaping Hope’s hold before climbing out of the bed “come on, Hope. How can you not see it? I did everything so I can finally be- you know what? it doesn’t really matter. You’re here and that’s it”   
  
Hope followed, watching carefully as Josie fiddled around awkwardly in her own space, her own room “I think you’re the best person I know, Josie. Maybe you think your motives for saving my life is a little off but I think you’re incredible”   
  
Their gazes met for the second time in the last few minutes and Josie wondered what would kissing Hope’s lips feel like. If it would be as satisfying and awestrucking as she imagined it would be.   
  
“Jo, dad asks if-”   
  
Lizzie pushed her way into the room only to stop when she spotted Hope, a chuckle escaping her lips soon after “grounded much?”   
  
“Hope, this is my twin Lizzie” Josie introduced, her breathing uneven and she refused to meet both of their gazes so they settled on one another “I’m going to the bathroom”   
  
As she disappeared down the hall, the only thing Hope could do was try and make herself as friendly as possible “hey, it’s really nice to meet you. Your sister”   
  
“risked her life to save you” Lizzie cut through Hope’s words before she got any cheesier “you should be really worth it, and if you hurt her or like change your mind and go back to Rafael, you’re going to have a real problem”   
  
Hope tried to hide her smile as the blonde made the overprotective threat. She knew better than to tease Lizzie, so she settled on giving her a small smirk.   
  
“tell Josie that dad asks what she would like to have for dinner” Lizzie mumbled before stepping away and out of the door.   
  
Josie took her sister’s place inside the room after watching Lizzie walk back down the stairs, confident in every step. When she met Hope’s gaze she could only hope that Lizzie left a better first impression than it seemed.   
  
Josie feared Monday morning for a few reasons. She knew she’d have to face Rafael and that she no more had a solid reason to ignore the school activities.   
  
There was one thing that made going back to school slightly better, and that was Lizzie’s hold on her fingers. They were yet to talk about Hope, and Lizzie was surprisingly tamed, braely trying to fish for information any more than usual.   
  
Alaric watched as his daughters linked their arms together before stepping through the gates of the school, never giving him a second glance.   
  
“well, are you going to see him?”   
  
They did talk about her fight with Rafael. Josie was too awestruck with Hope to tell Lizzie too many details, but the blonde was sure that a small conversation would fix everything. After all, he was her first real friend in town and they truly loved each other.   
  
Their walk inside the hall was cut short as it was massively blocked by a group of students that circled around something. Lizzie pushed through the crowd easily, pulling Josie along with her to be met with Rafael and Kaleb.   
  
“what’s going on?” Josie asked, her gaze never meeting Rafael’s as she settled on the boy standing behind the two. He was hiding his head in his locker as if he could ignore the wave of people around him.   
  
“the girls are taking a new interest in our boy MG” Kaleb mumbled, suddenly pulling Josie in an unexpected hug “thanks for bringing him back to me, I will never forget that”   
  
Josie tightened her hold around his shoulders for a moment, letting go only after she thought it was safe to assume he knew how sorry she was. She stepped closer to MG’s side, throwing her arm around his shoulder.   
  
“let me save you, ok?” she whispered in his ear, pulling him out of his safe corner and pushing her way out of the groups of teens. Lizzie could only watch with pride as Josie did her signature move.   
  
Josie stopped walking when she reached her father’s office, making MG roll his eyes “thanks, I was really lost there for a few seconds”   
  
“seconds? dude you fucking froze” Rafael mumbled as he and Kaleb arrived at the office as well, smiling politely at the secretry.   
  
“he’s wanted to be surrounded by girls since forever and now when they come for him he doesn’t want it” Kaleb pouted jokingly, making MG step away from them.   
  
“you know where I was last week?” MG gave him a wicked smile, hiding the painful truth “I didn’t even get to have a few days off before I came back. You know what? maybe in a few days i will learn to appreciate the girls but right now I just want some peace”   
  
“why are you back so soon then?” Josie asked, ignoring the teasing of the other guys.   
  
“they didn’t really give me a choice” MG mumbled, wiping his palm on his face “my father said I missed enough school for the rest of my life”   
  
“Dude, that sucks, I’m sorry” Rafael said awkwardly. His eyes finally met Josie’s and he sighed “sorry too, Jo, Hayley just makes me so nervous and I always feel as if I’m not enough”   
  
Josie stepped closer, giving him a shy smile “I have to apologize too, just so you know I paid with my freedom to save them. I’m grounded”   
  
“you’re grounded? Damn girl i’ve been trying to make you ditch school since the day we met and turns out all you needed was a dangerous adventure” Kaleb squeezed her shoulders proudly.   
  
“yeah, thanks for that, by the way” MG waved around “let’s talk about the important stuff. Who was the blonde with you this morning?”   
  
“wait, now you do want to be surrounded by girls?” Rafael grinned, wiggling his eyebrows at his friend as he shuffled awkwardly.   
  
“stop bothering him, she’s my twin sister, Lizzie” Josie nodded slowly, before adding just under her breath “but she’s way into Rafael to even notice that Jed is totally into her”   
  
MG raised his head, taken by her raw honesty “wait, what did you say?” Rafael asked, missing the words that slipped out of Josie’s mouth too easily.   
  
It was simple. The second Rafael left the house to go to school that morning Landon made his way to Hope’s place. It wasn’t as if the Waithe were bad company, they were the closest thing he had to a family. But he very easily got tired of the pity in everyone’s gazes.   
  
“hey,” Landon finally said as Hayley opened the front door for him. She was dressed in a nice looking suit with her hair pulled into a tight bun “were you about to leave?”   
  
“my stubborn daughter said that her father had already kidnapped her once so she can survive being home alone” Hayley rolled her eyes before pulling Landon into a short hug.   
  
“don’t worry, if danger comes I will let you know” he promised, making Hayley chuckle softly.   
  
“now that you’re here I feel as if it's safe for me to go to work. I really wasn’t expecting having her back and my 11 am meeting would appreciate not being canceled on. Just so you know, there are dinner leftovers in the fridge, if you get hungry”   
  
“damn, I missed home” Landon grinned brightly at Hayley before climbing up the stairs quickly.   
  
Hope rolled around in her bed when the woodbords cracked in the stairs. She could barely consider getting up to see if her mom already came back and she slept through the whole day when her door burst open and Landon jumped on the bed beside her.   
  
“I would say sorry for waking you but I know that the noises I made did the job pretty good for me” he placed his head on her pillow, his eyes already closed.   
  
“yeah, you could still apologize anyway for almost killing me when you jumped” Hope mumbled, pulling the covers over her head “what time is it anyways?”   
  
“8am? I don’t know, I left with Rafael when he went to school”   
  
“Lan, I’m still catching up on my sleep, you can come back tonight or sleep too if you want” Hope rolled her back to her best friend.   
  
“do you find it easier to sleep, now that you’re home?” he asked softly, nudging her shoulder with his finger.   
  
“not so much. Usually I just let the exhaustion hit me and then I sleep so well I don’t ever want to wake up” she admitted just as soft “what about you? Are you adjusting to the new Whithe kid life you got?”   
  
“I already spoke with Louis about a job and I plan to move out as soon as I’m 18. It’s not so far away, but I don’t really enjoy sharing a room with Raf” Landon said quickly, the statement making him shake his head guiltily.   
  
his words surprised her and she turned around to face him, her eyes still only half open “what do you mean? I thought you’d love to share with him. He’s practically your brother”   
  
“I thought so too, but then I learned that every sound makes me anxious and I can barely think while he’s constantly in the back. I know it’s his room but I can’t help but feel trapped”   
  
“you’re allowed to want to be alone after we spent so much time stuck together” Hope grabbed his palm, squeezing it softly “just so you know that my guest room is saved for you, if you want it”   
  
“I know, and I wouldn’t so easily say no to eat your mother’s cooking everyday” Landon chuckled, turning in his place to give Hope his best smile “I should try and make it work at the Waithe’s first”   
  
“well duh” Hope grinned, squinting her eyes at the edge, the kind of happy smile she let go of while in captivity “just tell me if you change your mind”   
  
“sure do,” he nodded shortly.   
  
Hope bite down on her bottom lip, turning her head back towards the ceiling “do you think about going back to school?”   
  
“I know that I will go back the day you do” Landon shrugged, getting comfortable in his new position beside her “it’s better than to go or stay at home alone”   
  
“you’re better than a boyfriend, you know?” Hope wiggled her eyebrows, making Landon smile “you always have my back and I can gossip with you, plus you give the best hugs”   
  
“I can’t believe we had to be kidnapped for our accidental friendship to become a real one”   
  
They made the decision to go back to school on Friday, a week after they officially arrived back in town. After the few days of integration they had with the sheriff, Hope found herself bored at home, her head too busy to try and paint or write down her feelings, she missed the normalcy of being a student.   
  
Maybe it was due to the fact that she didn’t spend enough time with her friends anymore. They were busy with school on most hours of the day, they did try to spend their time at the Marshall household since she came back, but it was difficult.   
  
Rafael made his way towards the door after parking his car, fiddling away with his fingers before nervously knocking on the door. He knew that he had to speak with Hope, just the two of them, before having her back at the school.   
  
Hayley opened the door, her blank expression soon turns into a polite smile “hello, Rafael”   
  
“hey Ms Marshall. How are you?” he stepped inside, shrugging his coat off his shoulders.   
  
“I think we’ve been past last names before” Hayley smiled almost sheepishly “I’ve been good. Hope’s up in her room, I’m pretty sure she’s still awake”   
  
“Thanks, Hayley” Rafael nodded, he hung his coat on the empty space, turning his head to smile awkwardly in the mother’s direction one last time.   
  
He climbed the stairs in his fast pace, knowing that once he stepped on the second floor all the nerves will disappear. He spent long years in Hope’s house while growing up and it was his safe haven.   
  
When Rafael opened the door he found his peace in the face of the girl he used to love so much and he let a grin cover his features “I forgot you used to wear glasses”   
  
Hope raised her head from the piece of blank paper on her desk to grin back at Rafael “I forgot you used to drop by without warning”   
  
“huh” he nodded, stepping inside the room and taking in the small changes he could spot “I love what you’ve done with the place”   
  
Last time Rafael was there, they were fighting so badly it might have ruined their sacred place. He didn’t even notice that one notebook Hope used to carry everywhere lying open on the bed, a New Orleans map right beside it.   
  
Hope changed quite a lot since they last met, he did too. Her room changed as well. No more mess of clothes and books all over the place. The pictures changed too. Klaus was nowhere to be found, but a new picture of Landon and Hope was hung in the middle of the old pictures.   
  
“what did my mother say this time? You look scared” Hope chuckled moving around to sit on her bed before patting the bed, Rafael taking the seat beside her.   
  
“she was just as charming as always” he shrugged, kicking his shoes off before placing his feet on the bed.   
  
“you were always her favorite” Hope said jokingly “she’s still not sure that we’re really over”   
  
“we literally fought on her doorstep after you came back from the dead” Rafael shook his head slowly “I can assure her if you need me to”   
  
“no thanks, she started listening to me since I came back. We just haven’t gotten to talk about near romances” she explained quickly “so why are you here? Not that I mind your company”   
  
“after I saw the way everyone reacted to MG’s return I wanted to see you one last time, before fame changes you” Rafael smirked “we always knew that once you reached fame you’d forget all of us”   
  
“I would never leave you for fame, maybe for someone more attractive but not for fame. My mom taught me better than that”   
  
A silence fell between them, both of them knew how literally this sentence was, and that maybe their civil, almost casual friendship would change into something awkward and so not them, Hope raised her head to look at him.   
  
“do you mind telling me what happened while you were locked up?” Rafael didn’t turn his head to look at her but he felt her gaze on his face, warm blue eyes tracing his features “Landon won’t tell me anything but I’ve heard him cry more than enough times to know that I have to ask”   
  
Hope pulled her knees to her chest, resting her head on them while hiding his face “it’s just the loneliness that seeps to the bones after being alone for so long. We were together all the time but I’ve never felt more alone than in those nights in that shed. I don’t really want to tell you much more, it’s not like we were physically harmed or anything. It’s just something that mentally would be with me for the rest of my life”   
  
“I missed you so much Hope, I will do everything I can to help” Rafael whispered, placing a kiss on top of her head, leaning into her side.   
  
Hayley watched Hope as she wondered around the kitchen, drinking a glass of coffee with too much sugar and milk. She could almost see an adult in her clumsy teenage daughter. Hope might have decided she was going back to school, but Hayley decided she was going to stay at home that day to make sure she was actually following her plan.   
  
Landon arrived a few minutes later, followed by Rafael. Hayley watched their new dynamic as Landon, who was once the shy kid who never spoke, started babbling excitedly about going back to school. Rafael was standing in the corner and watching them with a smile.   
  
“come on then, we should really get to school. I promised Jo that we’d meet her outside” Rafael pulled gently on Hope’s arm, directing her towards the door “I’ll keep her out of trouble for today, Ms Marshall”   
  
“thank you, Rafael” Hayley smiled, watching as the 3 teenagers piled out of the house in a sudden rush.   
  
In their short walk, Rafael filled his friends on the gossip they missed. The two of them were never a part of school gossip before disappearing, but right then they craved the child-like topics of breakups and ditching.   
  
“do you think they would stop staring at us one day?” Landon asked quietly as they neared the front gate. Students around them were rushing inside, scared of being late.   
  
“Like any other news, sooner than later we’ll get old” Hope grinned as she finally entered the school’s ground, giving the people around her a confident smile.   
  
Josie was waiting just as promised, her eyes landing on the trio as they neared her. Hope was the first to reach her side, sliding her arm around the taller girl’s waist rather smoothly while still walking.   
  
“good morning” Josie grinned as she joined them, throwing a smile at each of the boys before turning back around.   
  
“wonder twin” Hope squeezed her waist.   
  
“my dad is waiting to formally meet you and Landon. He told me I can come along with you guys if I promise to stop ditching classes. Easy decision, really” Josie explained the direction she was leading the group, through big halls into narrow ones and to the headmaster’s office.   
  
“did you tell him I know about him and my parents?” Hope asked softly, hoping to avoid getting curious looks and annoying questions from the guys behind her.   
  
“no, I didn’t. I still think there’s something off about him lately and I don’t want to make him suspect I know anything” Josie shrugged, knocking on the door to her father’s office after receiving a nod from his secretary “besides, I heard him talk to Caroline about coming back. She’s a part of this too”   
  
“that’s just wonderful” Hope’s face twisted right as Alaric called for them to come inside “ok let me pretend your dad isn’t one of the bad guys”   
  
“easy right?”   
  
Alaric was usually good at pretending. He could’ve made a career out of it if he didn’t like teaching so much. But Josie knew better. Better than to let his warm words mean anything other than the show he put on.   
  
“I am so glad to have you two back here, safe and ready to learn” he grinned widely.   
  
Josie and Rafael stood behind their friends as they sat beside the headmaster’s table. The both of them couldn’t care less about the words of the headmaster, they met each other’s gazes for a split second.   
  
“What were you and Hope talking about?”   
  
Josie shrugged her shoulders, trying to focus on her father’s words but finding it harder now that Rafael was bluntly staring at her.   
  
“Come on, Jo, you were whispering about something” Rafael leaned a little closer, catching Alaric’s attention as he moved in the background.   
  
“well Rafael and Josie, I seem to bore you so you should head to class. Your friends would be there soon enough” he said, making Hope and Landon turn in their seats “now that they’re here, you can stop missing classes all together, don’t you think?”   
  
“I think-” Josie bit her tongue, shutting her eyes tightly “yeah, come Raf. We’ll see you guys later”   
  
She grabbed his arm, pulling him outside of the office with pure will, giving another polite smile to the secretary before leaving the room altogether.   
  
“you just left them at the mercies of your dad” Rafael whispered, the two made their way down the hall and towards their english class “and I’ve been at his mercy before, he can be very annoying”   
  
“they can handle him being annoying, they’re Hope and Landon. I, on the other hand, need to go to class to stay out of his sight for a while” Josie explained, shaking her head'' Look, I know that we owe you some information and I promise to give it to you over lunch break, ok?”   
  
“yeah” Rafael eyed her for a second longer before pushing the door to their classroom opened.   
  
Sadly, Hope and Josie didn’t share any of their morning classes, and the two met beside their group’s table a few hours later. Hope looked exhausted, but gave Josie the widest grin when their eyes finally met.   
  
“hey,” Hope reached her side, leaning her head on the shoulder “I forgot how I actually hate school”   
  
“do you have any subject you need to catch up on?” Josie wrapped her arm around Hope’s waist, pulling her closer to the table gently “I could help”   
  
“yeah, I could probably use your help in math and history. My mom would like you even better after this, if it’s even possible” Hope rolled her eyes, sitting down beside Maya with one last glance in Josie’s direction.   
  
MG reached Josie’s palm, a grin on his face as he pulled her to sit beside him “I heard that your sister is single”   
  
“she’s going to eat you for breakfast, Milton” Josie wrapped her hand around his arm, sliding closer to him “she’s still into Rafael, but if she does ever stop obsessing over him, I will let you know”   
  
“geez, I have every girl around the school follow me around but I chose the only one that is actually into someone else” MG dropped his head on her shoulder.   
  
Their friendship was the only thing that made sense to Josie since coming back to school. He was almost her in a guy, if it was even possible. He was soft and positive, smart and sharp. He was wonderful, she was lucky to have known him.   
  
“so, Mikaelson, how was your first day of kindergarten?” Kaleb gave her a soft teasing smile.   
  
“hey, what about me?” Landon asked, taking a bite of his lunch with a pout.   
  
“I think you’re past the kindergarten phase, Hopey tho, she needs to learn a few more things before she can come to our elementary school level” Maya wiggled her eyebrows.   
  
“we used to be friends once” Hope pointed at Maya “have you already forgotten about me?”   
  
“I’ve tried really hard, but there are posters of your face all over the town” Maya waved her fingers around before pulling Hope into a bear hug.   
  
“dude, how can anyone forget you? You have such a pretty face” Kaleb called, jumping towards his friends to join their hug.   
  
“stop, I can’t deal with too much attention” Hope pushed them away, sending a pleading look in Josie’s direction, asking for a rescue.   
  
“so, Kaleb, when is the talent show that you told me about?” Josie asked, breaking the hug successfully.   
  
Rafael took the seat on Josie’s other side a few minutes later, catching her attention while the group kept teasing each other. He gave her a questioning look, she knew he waited all day for the promise she made him.   
  
“I think my dad is a part of the abducting somehow, or that he knows more details than we do” Josie let out, followed quickly by a sigh “but that’s just a guess and I told Hope so she would be extra careful”   
  
“after the interrogation with the sheriff, I don’t think they even have a lead. My brother asked Mr Donovan for any new information, but they’re still too surprised that they’re even here to try and solve what happened in the first place” Rafael admitted, scratching the back of his neck.   
  
“I’m not sure I want to be a part of it anymore” Josie placed her head on his shoulder, the act so similar but also so forign at the same time “I want to get back to work for your brother and just be free”   
  
“easier said than done, sadly”   
  
Josie had to use the best puppy dog eyes against her dad to get him to allow her to skype Penelope later that night. Alaric always had a soft spot for Penelope, since she was the only person to actually make his daughter smile while she was younger. So it was actually easier than Josie thought it would be.   
  
She just had to promise to do her homework while skyping, which was basically impossible. It took Josie less than a minute to close her notebook and face her best friend on the screen.   
  
“you owe me so much information, I’m not sure we have enough hours in the day,” she began, her smile as blinding as always.   
  
“it was easier if you were here and then we could’ve pulled an all-nighter like old times” Josie nodded, a soft grin on her face.   
  
“I will come to visit on Christmas. You know I like your family better than mine” Penelope rolled her eyes “you’re stalling, speak up Jojo”   
  
It was the first time she told the whole story, from the beginning until the very end, her feelings for Hope trying not to surface in every sentence she spoke. Penelope, on her end, sat quietly and listened to everything Josie said.  
  
“so, what now?” she asked, her blank expression confusing Josie.   
  
“what do you mean? Now I get back to my normal life” Josie tried not to frown, but Penelope knew her better than anyone.   
  
“you’re clearly in love with someone Jo” she chuckled, a smile finally taking over her face “I have to admit that I first thought you were only in it for the fun, but it sounds too risky for just plain fun. So tell me, Jojo, who’s the lucky one?”   
  
“the girl” Josie admitted easily, shutting her eyes tightly.   
  
Penelope let out a loud sigh of relief “great, I was afraid I would have to tolerate this dude you went on the trip with”   
  
“you’re so far away! I have to deal with him on a daily basis” Josie gave her a soft smile “I love him, don’t get me wrong. He’s amazing, but Hope- she’s different”   
  
“You literally have the most love struck expression on your face right now, I would be offended if I wasn’t that sure that you love me more than anyone else ever” Penelope said, a playful smirk playing on her lips.   
  
“you’d love her so much, Penny. She’s the best” her voice was too, awestruck. As if the bare thought of Hope made her feel better “it has nothing to do with my love for you”   
  
“So what is the problem?” Penelope leaned a little closer “she’s great, you’re great, it sounds like a match made in heaven for me”   
  
“she only just now came back to town and I don’t want to pressure her into anything. Besides, I can’t like another girl that doesn’t like Lizzie, it’s exhausting” Josie mumbled the ending, looking too much like a little kid.   
  
“so tell Lizzie to be easier to be liked. She’s not going to be in the way of your relationship, I’m sure she just wants you to be happy”   
  
“Did you just say something that put Liz in a good light? Or was I imaging the end?” Josie giggled, making Penelope shrug.   
  
“don’t make me regret it”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you so much for reading! hope you like it. comments and kudos make my day better:)

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you liked it! let me know what you think.  
> love you guys <3


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